Phoenix Rising 4 - Child of Prophecy
by lynnwiley
Summary: Follows "Learning to Fly" - When a prophecy is revealed to the wizards and witches of Magical Britain, Hera's biological brother Charlus is believed to be their only hope for survival. Dumbledore and the Potters soon learn that they were all mistaken. Will Hera choose to save a world that openly despises vampires? Will Edward even allow her to try?
1. Prophecy

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or Twilight, and am borrowing their characters without permission… shamelessly, I might add.

**Note:** I spent most of yesterday trying create a prophecy that didn't sound stupid or hokey. I failed… royally. So I instead came up with a way around having to write the prophecy. It is also a bit lame, but not nearly as lame as my attempts at writing prophecies… trust me.

**Phoenix Rising 4 – Child of Prophecy**

Lily Potter stood just outside the back door of their mansion, watching her husband ride their son Charlus around the yard on his broom with a loving expression. Sirius Black, in the form of Padfoot, bounced around happily below them. The seven-year-old boy was the pride of his parents and godfather, with his bright blue eyes and dimples. He may have inherited her red hair and some of her features, but the cocky attitude was all James. She knew that she and her husband had somewhat spoiled the child, but what was the point of having children if you couldn't shower them with tokens of love and affection?

After all, James had been spoiled and look at how he turned out.

Every once in a while she would think of another child the exact same age as her Charlus… a baby girl with her own bright green eyes. She would think of how fear filled her when Albus broke the news that the tiny brunette was a dark creature. James had refused to even look at their daughter when he found out. Lily recalled how her husband would sometimes pull away from her when she sought his affection after the event… as if it were **her** DNA that was responsible for creating a harpy!

It wasn't until the twins were a few weeks old that Albus confirmed Hera's species. Lily, at first, had loved the baby girl… how could she not? She had been determined that any child created with the love she shared with James could not possibly be dark. At least they had kept the news of her existence a secret from everyone. She was smart enough to realize that their reputation would suffer greatly should the wizarding world discover Hera's parentage. And since everyone knew how light the Potters were, it was only natural that James' muggleborn wife would be the one blamed.

It was her idea to place the child at the home of her sister. She knew how much Petunia loathed magic, and would forbid the girl from ever thinking of reentering the magical world. She and James couldn't afford the chance that the binding on the child's magic and wings would break in an orphanage. They would have no way to stop Hera from finding her way into their world. All it would take was a simple drop of blood at the nearest Gringotts from an orphaned child seeking family to oust the Potters. But with her sister and brother-in-law as Hera's guardians, the child was almost guaranteed to be brought up fearing to even **speak** the word "magic".

Lily wasn't heartless, but she had worked very hard to find her place in this society. Muggleborns were viewed as being barely a step up from squibs in the eyes of the most powerful and influential wizards of the ministry. Marrying James had been the boost she had needed to get people to look at her as if she belonged in this fantastical world. She wasn't about to see everything she'd done to distance herself from her muggle roots crumble because one of her husband's foolish ancestors had seen fit to mate with a monster!

The whoosh of the floo activating startled her. Lily had just turned to see who was calling when Albus Dumbledore met her outside looking pale and shaky. James, seeing the unusually somber look on the headmaster's face, immediately landed the broom. "What's wrong, Albus?"

Albus gravely stated, "It's been confirmed… he's coming back."

Gasping with fright, Lily quickly ordered her son inside the house to his room to play. She didn't want Charlus hearing anything about the monster that was responsible for so many deaths.

James' face hardened. "How do you know? It's not that I doubt you, headmaster," he added quickly. "It's just… Voldemort!"

The old man nodded. "I understand, James. Perhaps this conversation would be best held inside?"

Lily blushed, embarrassed that her skills as a hostess weren't quite up to par with those of purebloods. "Of course! Forgive me, Albus. Let's move to the sitting room and I'll prepare some refreshments."

Once everyone was settled with their tea, the headmaster continued his tale. "There's been a prophecy proclaiming the second rise of Lord Voldemort."

Sirius, who was displaying none of his usual playfulness, scoffed. "A prophecy?! You expect us to… what? Rally the aurors? Panic the wizarding world?" He stood up in anger. "Prophecies are vague and undecipherable at **best**, Albus! And that's when the source is trusted! Who gave this prophecy? Let me guess," the animagus continued to rant, "Sybil Trelawney… the drunken Divinations professor who's never predicted a thing in her life that's come true?"

Casting a level look at his somewhat hot-tempered ex-student, Albus said, "Actually, it came from the goblins."

Silence reigned as everyone stared at the old wizard in shock. Goblins, though universally regarded with disgust by wizards, were notorious for three things… their prowess with weaponry, their aptitude with money, and their prophecies. Goblins hoarded their prophecies as they did their other treasures. No one but them ever knew the exact wording, but the appropriate societal leaders were always warned, and the prophecies **always** came true.

Sirius dropped back into his seat with shock. "What… what did they say?"

Albus sighed despondently. "Seeing that the prophecy concerned wizards, they spoke their findings directly to the Wizengamot. We were told Voldemort would return, and civilization as we know it would collapse." He hastily took a calming draught.

Lily cleared her throat when the headmaster didn't continue.

James looked oddly at the man he had revered his entire life. "And? What was the third thing?"

"Well… it seems we will have a champion in this upcoming war."

Sirius barked with laughter. "That's good news, then… right?"

Albus looked James dead in the eye. "The champion will be 'The Potter's phoenix child.'"

Lily, who'd always been quick on the uptake, gasped.

James and Sirius, however looked confused. "We don't have a phoenix, Albus. You're the only one I know who does."

The redhead smacked her husband on the arm. "Order of the Phoenix, James!" She began to cry, worried sick about what this would mean for her little Charlus. "They were speaking about our son!"

* * *

As soon as the Wizengamot meeting began breaking up, a man who had been sitting in the second row of the audience left via the side door. As he made his way toward the exit, he could hear the panicked screams of the witches and wizards spilling out from the large room he had recently vacated. He respectfully bowed to the two goblins who had come to warn the, in his opinion, undeserving wizards.

The goblins, recognizing his race immediately, showed their own respect by bowing back. With the exception of the rocky relationship between vampires and werewolves, magical creatures usually stuck together.

As soon as he was certain no one was watching him, he darted into the nearest unoccupied room and pulled out his chocolate brown wings. Rynex ran a shaky hand through his spiky red hair and flashed away to his homeland to deliver the news to the council.

Ahna, who had been quite taken with the green-eyed cutie they met four years ago, was not going to like this!

* * *

Carlisle thanked the owl that had delivered unsettling news to his family by feeding him some owl treats he kept in his office. Wizarding owls were used to interacting with different species, and therefore weren't likely to shy away from vampires as would non-magical animals.

He was unsurprised that Edward was waiting for him outside his office. "Where is she," the doctor asked his son.

Edward glared at the note clutched in his father's hand. "She's in her clearing… working on the exercise her Elemental Magics professor assigned.

Carlisle was shocked. Elemental work was incredibly dangerous, and even at Ardaigh many protective measures were undertaken before Professor Taproot would allow a student to even practice pronunciation of an incantation!

His son, hearing his thoughts, chuckled. "It's not like that, Carlisle. Taproot's having them call forth flowers without speaking the spell. It's difficult, but completely non-dangerous to practice outside of school."

"Has Hera ever needed to speak an incantation in any of her classes to get the spell to work for her," Carlisle asked, knowingly, as the two vampires made their way to the forest clearing that Hera had long since claimed as her sanctuary. Mostly she used it to commune with her animal friends and play dolls, but since she'd received the summons from her magical school six months ago she liked to practice magic there. When asked why, she said that she felt closer to magic when she was outside.

Smirking smugly, Edward responded. "Nope. Fredrickson says that's normal for her race, but I can't help but be proud."

The doctor chuckled. "And that's completely normal behavior for mates. She could show up with a duffel bag full of money from robbing a bank and your vampire would most likely be proud of her for accomplishing the feat."

Edward laughed. "Only normal for mates? Wasn't it you who went around bragging to everyone at the hospital when Hera won the classroom spelling bee at school last year? What was the word she won with… I believe it was "house" if I recall correctly."

"Well, yes… of course her everyday achievements will be a source of pride to her parents. I'm not going to celebrate her robbing a bank, however. Besides, wasn't it you who framed the certificate she received for the spelling bee and hung it on your wall? Isn't it **still** on your wall, Edward?"

The younger vampire glared at Carlisle, but sobered as they neared the clearing where his mate was practicing her skills.

Hera sat very still, an unusual spectacle to be sure, her eyes closed in concentration. Carlisle couldn't help but compare this child with the three-year-old that he'd brought home from Europe. Her black hair now hung halfway down her back, and was often in a braid. Her face had lost the baby fat and the father was starting to get a good idea, visually, of the young woman she would eventually blossom into.

His baby was beautiful now, but she was going to be utterly breathtaking as a woman.

The two smiled with satisfaction when a small purple flower soon appeared before the child. Hera opened one eye to see if she accomplished her task, then squeaked with excitement when faced with her results.

"Well done, sweetheart," Carlisle exclaimed, startling his daughter, whose wings flared out as if preparing to fly.

"Daddy! You scared me!" She pulled her wings back in and glared at her father before smiling once more. "Did you see it come up? Did it grow up out of the ground or just pop in place? Professor Taproot said they're supposed to grow out of the ground, but I don't see how unless there's a seed down there to sprout. When I asked her, she just said it was magic, but that's what all the teachers say when they don't seem to know the answer..." Hera trailed off when her father raised his hand for silence.

Carlisle sat on the ground facing her while Edward picked up his mate and sat down with her in his lap. He then wrapped his arms around her as if hoping to protect her from the pain of her father's upcoming words.

"Hera, sweetheart… I have some news to give you and it's not going to be easy to hear." Carlisle was used to delivering bad news to both patients and their families. Breaking his baby girl's heart, however, was something altogether different. He faltered as she stared at him with her large green eyes full of fear.

"What is it daddy?"

Edward tightened his grip and rested his chin on her shoulder. Thankfully sparing Carlisle from the task, he answered her. "Uncle Nick and Aunt Nelle are in the hospital, sunshine."

Scrunching her face in concern and confusion, Hera nodded. "Okay… but they're in the hospital so they're getting better, right?"

Carlisle sighed and picked up his daughter's hand. "No baby. They're just reaching the end of their lives and will soon move on to be with their family."

The child froze. This would be her very first experience with death and Carlisle was unsure how she would be affected by the loss of her beloved aunt and uncle.

The girl soon nodded but seemed to be suddenly detached from the conversation. "Can I… can I visit them?"

Carlisle met Edwards eyes and they both nodded. "Of course, sweetheart. We'll arrange a trip as soon as we get back to the house."

Hera shook her head. "No daddy… I need to see them now. Can't I flash over there?"

"I'm sorry, Hera, but you're not yet strong enough to take passengers with you and you're not going alone." When she opened her mouth to argue, he continued. "And the hospital wouldn't allow you in to see patients without a guardian with you anyway. You're too young."

Sighing in defeat, Hera pulled out of Edward's arms and began the trek back towards their house… flower forgotten.

* * *

Thanks for reading!


	2. Anguish

Disclaimer found on chapter 1

**Chapter 2 - Anguish**

Hera was unusually quiet as the family endured the seventeen hour flight to London. Only Edward was privy to the thoughts that waged war on the seven-year-old phoenix's mind as she tried to focus on rereading her well-worn copy of "The Velveteen Rabbit." Though the vampires were also saddened by the news that their friends' long lives were ending, they were currently more concerned with helping Hera come to terms with her despair.

Two hours into the trip, she finally gave up the pretense of trying to read and began staring out of the window absently. In a seemingly random movement, Hera slid her book into the seat pocket in front of her, buried her face in Edward's side and started sobbing. Edward immediately pulled his mate into his lap and held her as she cried herself to sleep. He then glared at the human businessman on the aisle seat beside him who openly stared at them as if they were an exhibit in a museum put there strictly for his amusement.

Rosalie, who was seated directly behind the nosy individual, looked as if she were going to vault over the seat and rip the guy's head off. The blonde vampire was caustic on a good day, but when Hera wasn't smiling, she was likely to kill first and ask questions later. Thankfully he got the message and turned his attention back to his laptop. The stranger called him a freak in his mind and for a second he was tempted to say, "Buddy, you've got no idea," but decided it wouldn't be worth the potential drama.

* * *

After finding a suitable hotel, the Cullen family walked the seven blocks to the place Carlisle's vampire friend Sanguini said held the entrance to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Jasper, who had Hera riding piggyback, looked at the abandoned department store in confusion. "**This** is the hospital?"

Emmett snorted. "Very classy… you sure this Sanguini person wasn't yanking your chain, Carlisle?"

Hera slid down from her brother's back and gazed intently at the red-bricked building. Directly beside the mannequin in the window, she could make out a magical portal tinged in blue. Taking a deep breath, Hera walked through the glass without hesitation, prompting her startled family to follow closely behind. She immediately took off her charmed necklace, feeling no need to hide her creature in the magical world, despite the prejudice of magical humans, and handed it to Edward.

Suddenly frightened to death that she may be too late to see her aunt and uncle, she shyly hid behind her father as he approached the young witch behind the check-in counter. At first the gum-popping teenager sneered at her family, telling them that their hospital didn't cater to "their kind." Hera wanted to curse the woman's ears off, but instead remained silent as her father asked for Uncle Nick and Aunt Nelle's room without once slipping into an impolite tone as the rest of them would.

Hera didn't know who Mungo was, but the only one close to being a saint in this room was Carlisle Cullen.

Sighing, as if suddenly dissatisfied with her life, the witch checked a scroll before her and directed them to, (hopefully), the correct ward. She heard Rose growling the entire way as Emmett held tightly to her hand. Hera knew that her beautiful sister's patience had been shorter than usual because of her and it made her feel guilty. Both her emotion and thought prompted Edward and Jasper to give her a sideways look before the former placed a supportive hand on her shoulder.

The young phoenix gasped in dismay when she first caught sight of the Flamels. The hospital had, thankfully, placed them together in one room. Their beds lay side by side, but their bodies hardly resembled the vivacious wizard and witch she'd come to adore. Tears started streaming down her face when it took her a few moments to even **recognize** her aunt and uncle.

Hera needed to say good bye, but the two withered husks on the beds didn't look strong enough to even open their eyes. The waves of despair had swelled and were now threatening to drown her, so she did the first thing that came to mind.

She flashed away.

* * *

Ahna sat in her private chambers, fuming. She had patiently listened to the news Rynex brought before the Mages Council, which consisted of the four joint rulers of Aria, the homeland of phoenixes since the beginning of time. She had sent him out to discover why the Wizengamot had put together an emergency meeting.

The phoenixes, despite the return to Aria, chose to be kept abreast of current events of the wizarding government in order to bring aid to the other magical races of the world should they be in need. Though the races who faced oppression were typically those the human ministries viewed as being "dark," Ahna knew that to be ridiculous. In the thousands of years she'd been alive, she'd met many different races of magical beings, some of which had died out years before.

Phoenixes were unable to tolerate the touch of evil, or what humans liked to call "darkness." They knew instinctively whether or not a person was inherently good or bad, and she'd never once seen a race that collectively fit that description. There was light and dark to be found in all species, and until the ministries realized it, **all** magical non-humans were in danger.

This prophecy though… she racked her brain trying to figure out how the emerald-eyed baby girl she'd once cradled in her arms could be saved from the burden that would be placed upon her small shoulders. The fact that they were now hailing Charlus Potter as their chosen bought her a little time to come up with a plan to protect the youngling.

Ahna knew in her heart, however, that the truth would be known much sooner than she could hope to come up with a viable solution.

* * *

When Hera had transported, she knew immediately that she hadn't left the hospital. She very rarely attempted to flash blindly, (without a destination in mind), but it seemed as if her emotions had taken control of her body. Hearing a gasp, she looked up and met the eyes of a boy around her age. She wiped her eyes and looked away, embarrassed to have a stranger witness her grief.

"Hi," the slightly chubby boy said shyly with a thick English accent. "My name is Neville Longbottom, what's yours… and how did you get in my mummy's and daddy's room?"

She looked up to see a couple about ten years younger than her parents appeared. For a reason she would never be able to explain, the phoenix felt drawn to touch them. "My name is Hera… Hera Cullen, and I flashed here by mistake," she said while inching closer to the couple.

Neville seemed completely unconcerned with her interest in his parents who lay on their beds with their eyes open, but unrecognizing of what was around them. "Flashed?"

"It's how I travel." She fluttered her wings, drawing his attention to the emerald appendages. "I'm a phoenix." She hesitantly reached out to grab the woman's hand beside her, then turned to pick up the adult male's on her other side.

The young boy looked on in wonderment after she told him what she was. He said nothing as she closed her eyes in concentration, driven by instinct to do… something. Hera felt her hands grow warm and, judging by Neville's sudden gasp, they were probably glowing. She couldn't look yet, though… there was something she needed to… there!

Hera, through her mind's eye, could see two separate balls of light, (both colored a harsh red), before her and she knew she had to pull them towards herself. She vaguely heard the sounds of a disturbance from somewhere near the front of the room, but was too deep into her trance to worry about it. She heard Neville speak demandingly to a woman with a grating voice as Hera pulled the darkness inside her body.

The phoenix gasped in excruciating pain as the light she instinctively recognized as evil burned through her before it was suddenly expelled in a burst of wild magic. The shattering of glass and a feeling of cold hands touching her face were the last sensations she had as she lost consciousness.

* * *

Yeah… this story is basically writing itself at this point :) Thank you for reading and reviewing!


	3. Collateral Damage

Disclaimer in chapter 1

**Chapter 3 – Collateral Damage**

Hera came to with her father lightly tapping the side of her face. She absently followed his directions as he checked her pupils with his pen light, but the majority of her attention was on the goings on around them. She, her mom, and her dad were sitting on the floor, still in the hospital room where Neville's parents were kept. The rest of her family surrounded them protectively, all but Rosalie were crouched defensively as they argued with other people she could barely see.

"What kind of hospital are you running here, Director, where anyone can just barge into my son's and daughter-in-law's room willy-nilly?!" Hera recognized her voice as the one Neville was arguing with before she fainted. The severe-looking woman, which she could hardly see over Jasper's head, looked very intimidating in her odd hat with a stuffed vulture perched on top.

"Madam, I assure you that this situation is quite out of the ordinary and will be thoroughly investigated," a male voice insisted. "We don't normally see vampires in St. Mungo's, my lady, let alone ones who are incapable of following our basic rules of conduct!"

Hera felt a little wobbly, but stood up, with her father's help. "They didn't break in here… I did!" She shrunk back a little when everyone's attention moved to her. "But I didn't mean to," she said hesitantly.

Neville, who had been standing behind the woman in the vulture hat, brightened at seeing Hera awake. "She healed mummy and daddy, gran! I saw her!"

A pained look entered Madam Longbottom's eyes before she responded to her grandson's declaration. "Neville, be silent!" She turned towards Hera and crooked her finger. "Come forward, child!"

Ignoring her siblings' low growls, the phoenix pushed between Edward and Alice to stand beside Neville. "What's your name, girl, and why did you come in here?"

The Cullens all straightened from their crouches and watched the interaction intently.

Raising her chin, determined not to let the abrasive woman see she was intimidated, Hera answered her. "My name is Hera Cullen and I accidently came in here."

The director looked at her with anger and suspicion in his piercing blue gaze. "You broke into a locked ward and accosted two of our patients by accident?" He threw his hands up in the air. "What other behavior can we expect from one who hangs around with vampires?!"

Hera glared and was about to kick the odious director in the shin when Madam Longbottom puffed up. "And what's wrong with vampires, Director Tuddle?"

Tuddle cringed and began to backpedal when he realized what he'd said, and in front of whom he'd said it. "I… I meant no disrespect, madam."

"I'll have you know the Longbottoms have a long history of being allied with all manner of magical creatures!"

Carlisle came forward to interrupt the new tirade. He picked up his daughter, who was relieved to feel the secure arms hold her tightly. "We will be happy to pay for any damages we incurred in your hospital, Director Tuddle. As you can see, this truly **was** an accident and my daughter meant no harm to anyone." He gestured to the two patients, who appeared to be resting comfortably. "Your healers have examined Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom and have found there to be no further damage, and I'd really like to get Hera somewhere where she can rest for a bit. I'm afraid her bout of accidental magic has taken a lot out of her."

Hera noticed Tuddle acted a lot nicer now that Neville's grandmother was glaring at him, as if daring him to say another bad thing about vampires. He even smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Oh, no need for payment, my good sir… magic will easily repair the door and windows. I think we'll leave it up to Madam Longbottom on whether or not she'd like to press charges for the intrusion."

"I'm really sorry, Madam Longbottom," Hera said to the woman who was eying her in a circumspect manner. "I promise it won't happen again."

After a long moment the woman sighed. "Very well, child, we'll put this matter behind us… but no more breaking into locked wards! They're locked for a reason."

Hera nodded, grateful that she was being let go with only a warning. "Yes, ma'am, thank you." She waved to Neville as her daddy carried her out into the hall with the rest of the Cullens following closely.

* * *

Edward had to bite his tongue to keep from growling when the young boy named Neville thought, "I want to marry her when I grow up!" Jasper looked at him in confusion when he felt an intense wave of jealousy from his brother, but Edward would voluntarily join the Volturi before he would ever admit that he was jealous of a seven-year-old boy.

They all had panicked when Hera flashed away from the Flamels' room. Thankfully Edward was still able to hear a whisper of her thoughts, so they knew she was somewhere in the hospital. He finally tracked her down to a sealed ward named for a Janus Thickey with the rest of the family right behind him. He hadn't even hesitated in breaking the lock keeping him from his mate, desperate to reach her before she decided to travel farther away.

They got to Hera just as the woman in the ridiculous hat, Augusta Longbottom, caught sight of a roomful of strangers intruding on her ill family. Needless to say, Tuddle was soon called and both sides tried to simultaneously argue their case to the rude director as healers checked over the woman's son and daughter-in-law.

Edward had crouched in defense as soon as the man thought about having the aurors come in to arrest them, prompting Jasper, Emmett, and Alice to follow suit. Vampires who were arrested in the wizarding world tended to be destroyed rather than tried and sentenced. Though most of his attention was on the drama happening before him, he kept one ear on Carlisle as he worked to rouse Hera, who had fainted after doing something to the Longbottom couple.

None of them knew what was going on there, and apparently neither did Hera. He gleaned from her thoughts as she came around that she had been working strictly on instinct and had no idea what she'd been trying to accomplish.

"Do you want to try your visit again tomorrow, sweetheart," Esme asked the phoenix as she pushed back the few strands of black hair that had escaped her daughter's braid.

Hera shook her head. "No mama… I think I want to do it now. I just wasn't ready to see them when I first went in, but I can do it."

Esme stared for a moment, gauging whether or not Hera truly was okay with seeing her aunt and uncle in such a state once more. She then looked at Edward, silently asking his opinion. As soon as he nodded she relaxed her stance. "Okay, but no more flashing. If you need to leave, tell us and we'll go back to the hotel."

The girl lay her head on her father's shoulder. "I will, mama."

* * *

Hera placed her small hand on that of her uncle, trying not to dwell on how the hands, which she had always remembered as being so strong could now feel so… breakable. These were the first set of hands she could remember that didn't hurt when they touched her. No one in her family knew, except Edward, that she still had memories of the abusive house from which she had been rescued.

Hera could recall how desperate she had been to leave the people who hated her that she reached out to the strange man with the kind eyes that had miraculously appeared beside her broken body. She didn't remember much from that period in her life, but she would always recollect the love and peace she had experienced for the first time in the arms of the two humans laying in this room.

"Hi Uncle Nick and Aunt Nelle… it's me, Hera." She closed her eyes tightly when she felt the sting of tears. "There's so much I wanted to say to you, but I thought you'd be awake to hear it."

Hera shrugged and wiped her eyes. "I guess it doesn't really matter because I just realized that everything I thought I needed to tell you… you already know." Thankful that her family was giving her space, the phoenix soldiered on. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have my family… I might even have died in the house of the bad people you took me from, so I just wanted to thank you for that… and tell you again how much I love you."

Alice brought Hera a handkerchief when she broke down completely. She had wanted to tell the witch and wizard that she was happy for them to be able to see their family again, but all she could do was wrap her arms around her sister and beg her to be taken away from the hospital.

The Cullens left immediately.

* * *

In the Janus Thickey Ward, Healer Miriam Strout was getting her patients settled in for the night when she noticed an odd noise coming from the usually silent Longbottoms. As she approached the bed, the healer realized that Alice Longbottom was moaning!

Just as she raised her wand with the intentions of doing a diagnostic scan, Alice opened her eyes and looked straight into Miriam's. "Ne…ville… where… my baby?"

The normally unflappable healer dropped her wand in shock.

* * *

As I was telling one reviewer, I'm thinking of starting another story that will actually be a collection of one-shots based on this series. They won't be in chronological order… Hera may be six in the first one and four in the next, (I may even skip ahead to her adulthood for some), but I thought it would be easier to keep them all in one place.

Also, if there's something you'd like to see happen, tell me in a review or pm and I'll consider it. Just please don't let it hurt your feelings if I don't accept your challenge. I promise to contemplate any idea brought before me.

Thanks, as always, to all of you beautiful people ;)


	4. Truth

See chapter 1 for disclaimer

**Chapter 4 – Truth**

Hera gazed forlornly at the front of the Gringotts room in which she, her family, and a large group of strangers sat. A podium stood tall upon a dais, partially hiding a goblin who looked to be organizing a sheaf of documents as he waited for the appropriate time to begin. The goblin was smartly dressed in a three-piece suit and seemed perfectly at ease being the focus of a large gathering of people.

As remarkable as he was, however, the goblin was not what held the phoenix's attention. To the right of the podium was an easel holding a large moving portrait of two people who Hera had felt were her aunt and uncle in all but blood. Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel were painted side by side - happily waving to the crowd while sitting on the navy blue loveseat where they had spent so much time reading and sharing tea whilst alive. In the background was a portion of Nicolas' much beloved library, sure to bring his painted likeness as much joy as he himself encountered.

Hera and her family had visited them in the hospital last Saturday evening and they both died the very next day. The phoenix wondered if they had been waiting for her to see them before they let go of life.

On the ground around the portrait were a multitude of flowers and wreathes, all meant to show the world how much the now deceased couple meant to the ones they left behind. Hera's wings fluttered as she recognized the tall arrangement her daddy had let her pick out. She didn't know the official name of the magical roses that changed colors, cycling from red to blue to pink to yellow and finally on to white before starting over, but she liked to call them 'Rainbow Roses' in her head.

Edward, upon hearing her thoughts, leaned in to whisper, "That's not a bad name, sunshine, but they're actually called 'Chameleon Roses'." She nodded her thanks with a small smile before going back to her previous reflections. Hera looked around the room, purposely skipping the group of Potters who she knew to be her biological family.

Hera had always known she had been adopted, but she had only recently shown any kind of curiosity about her natural family. Aunt Nelle had actually pointed her biological parents out in a photograph a year ago when she had first asked about them. It wasn't that she wanted to meet the Potters… she had only wanted to know the circumstances behind her abandonment. When Aunt Nelle had finished explaining the, no doubt, watered-down version of her early life, Hera hadn't been impressed. The only thing that made her feel somewhat grateful to the Potters was the fact that if it were not for their heartless actions, she never would have been placed with the most loving family on the face of the planet.

"Who are all of these people?" Though she spoke in a soft whisper Hera knew her family could hear her as if she had shouted the question. Vampire hearing was amazing.

Jasper, who sat directly behind her, answered. "I don't know, but from the overwhelming feelings of greed I'm getting, my guess is most are here for the will reading and not so much the memorial service."

* * *

Edward snorted. "Yeah, you wouldn't believe how many people are absolutely certain they are about to become billionaires." James and Lily Potter, in particular, fully believed the Flamels were going to leave their vast fortune to the so-called prophecy child Charlus Potter. Said boy was sitting smugly between his doting parents and kept imagining all the things he was going to buy with his upcoming fortune on the way home. Edward had pulled away from his mind with a grimace when the spoiled little boy was dreaming of a four-story treehouse complete with floo and house elf servants.

The vampire couldn't help but compare the boy with his mate. Hera, who had never wanted for anything in her life with them, had never been even remotely stingy. The closest she had ever come was one day when she had been grocery shopping with Alice and begged her sister for two candy bars. At first the elder sister had protested, but quickly gave in when faced with the phoenix's pleading green eyes. Hera had thanked Alice profusely and promptly gave both of the candy bars to the two homeless boys she had seen before going inside the store. Alice hadn't even seen it coming.

He tried not to judge Charlus too harshly, knowing his parents were the ones to blame for his attitude. In a way Charlus Potter was suffering through a form of child abuse. Though he hadn't been harmed physically or emotionally, he would eventually grow up and find himself completely incapable of integrating into society if things didn't change. No child should grow up thinking themselves above having to take responsibility for their actions. Inevitably, someone would come along determined to prove them wrong.

Dumbledore was incredibly anxious to get his greedy hands on Nicolas' stone and work journals. Edward shuddered at the thought of such a powerful artifact being in the hands of the manipulative old wizard. It was taking every ounce of strength he had not to harm the man who had caused actual pain to his, at the time, infant mate by binding her magic and wings. He didn't even want to think about the pain he could happily inflict on the adult Potters right now.

* * *

Hera slouched down in her seat and scowled at the audacity of these people. She would never understand the lengths people would go to when money was mentioned. Unlike the vast majority of people here, Hera and her family loved the Flamels for themselves - not because they were rich. Her mama and daddy had a lot of money too, but she was brought up to believe the value of a dollar was nothing compared to the value of love for friends and family. She felt pity for all who thought differently.

She half-heartedly glared at Edward when he tugged on her long French braid in amusement at her thoughts and expression.

* * *

Remus Lupin, who had only this morning returned from visiting a friend in France, had no idea why James and Lily had asked him and Sirius to come to the Flamels' memorial service and will reading at Gringotts. He knew it was open to everyone, but he felt extremely awkward being here when he had never known the couple personally. Truth be told, he wasn't certain if James and Lily did either, but hoped so. He had always been a man of high moral values despite living in poverty most of his life, and didn't understand how anyone could justify drooling over a deceased couple's fortune as soon as they crossed over.

It screamed of poor taste to him.

Nevertheless, he decided his friends must have wanted him there for a good reason, so he took a seat in between James and Dumbledore and observed the rest of the mourners. He nearly did a double take when he saw two rows of vampires behind him to the right. A few of them were glaring at him outright, no doubt due to the ancient feud between their species. He, himself, had never believed in hating anyone – especially for something of which they had no control, so he just smiled and nodded in response.

Right before he was about to turn back around he caught sight of something that he had never before thought he'd see in his life. "A phoenix!"

Remus was so stunned by the sight of the little girl with emerald wings that he failed to notice the vampires all moving their attention to him, most with hostile intent. The child, however, was oblivious to both his and her companions' reactions and instead chose to stare at the moving portrait of the Flamels. A faint warning growl finally pierced through Remus' shock, causing him to glance at the tawny-haired vampire before turning back to face forward.

His own companions were looking at him in bewilderment, unable to find a phoenix anywhere in the room. Dumbledore, in particular, was curious as he was the only wizard known to have one as a familiar. "A phoenix, my dear boy?"

Remus smiled back at the elderly wizard. "Indeed, Albus… I never thought I'd get to see one in person! I wonder what she's doing with a coven of vegetarian vampires."

All of his friends looked back to see the child. James and Lily both turned chalk-white before facing forward once more, confusing him. He'd never known them to be afraid of vampires. Sirius met his eyes and shrugged, equally confused at the Potters' behavior. Albus, however, chuckled and spoke in that annoyingly condescending manner that Remus hated. "No, my boy… that's a harpy. Phoenixes are **birds**, though Fawkes does tend to act as if he believes himself to be human."

The werewolf stared at him as if he had spontaneously turned purple and sprouted horns, (not as uncommon as one might think when in the presence of marauders). "Albus, harpies have feathers for hair and beaks instead of noses and mouths. I should know… I studied magical creatures quite extensively both in and outside of Hogwarts. That little girl with the wings is one of a race of magical beings as rare and pure as the royal elves themselves called phoenixes."

The headmaster paled greatly at Remus' words… so much so that the werewolf began to grow worried about his health.

Lily made a choking noise while James looked like he had taken ill. "Light creatures?"

Remus chose not to take offense at his friend's constant need to classify all magical beings as either light or dark, which was ridiculous in his opinion. "Yes, James… if we're going by the ministry's system of classification, phoenixes are probably the lightest creature you could find, not to mention one of the most powerful." He quivered in joy. If only his old friend and fellow magical being aficionado Hermes Dawson were here. Remus briefly thought to ask the family if he could take a photo, but didn't feel like dying via a coven of overprotective vampires anytime soon.

Damn whoever started that feud!

* * *

Edward shook his head, puzzled by the thoughts of the werewolf. He was more concerned with the frantic inner musings of the two adult Potters and Dumbledore, who were torn between disbelief and horror. Lily Potter was trying to figure out how she would get Hera back if Lupin's information was true. James was supremely confident in his friend's expertise and was trying to overcome the urge to punch Dumbledore square in the jaw for making him believe he had sired a dark creature.

Jasper placed a hand on his brother's shoulder when his anger rose greatly. "What's up," he asked Edward in his mind.

So quiet that Hera wouldn't overhear, Edward explained what he'd heard in the thoughts of his mate's biological family. "The Potters… now that they know Hera's not a so-called dark creature and the true prophecy child are trying to figure out how to get her back. Dumbledore, especially, is incredibly desperate to have her under his thumb."

Rosalie growled lowly and pulled the confused phoenix child into her arms in a protective manner. "Let them try, Edward."

* * *

**BePeachy:** I forgot to answer your question about how to pronounce Ahna's name. It's Ah-**nah** ;)

Thanks for reading!


	5. In Memoriam

See chapter 1 for disclaimer

**Note:** I posted the companion piece to this series that I spoke about in the last chapter. It's called "Phoenix Rising - Extras" and so far has only one story in it, if you'd like to give it a try. Again, if you have something you'd like to see, tell me in a review or a PM and I'll do my best.

**Chapter 5 – In Memoriam**

A single chime sounded throughout the room, signifying that the memorial service was ready to commence. Everyone instantly stopped chatting with their neighbors and obediently faced the front.

Augusta Longbottom sat through the Flamel's memorial service with stoic grace. A few times she'd had to cast a stern look at her grandson Neville when he began to fidget, but her attention for the most part remained firmly on the goblin at the podium. The husband and wife depicted in the moving portrait beside the Gringotts employee had given so much of themselves in the never-ending quest to provide equal rights to all magical folk and was worthy of the highest level of respect.

She, of course, had met the couple many times during various social events throughout the years. But, unlike many others attending this function, she had no interest in receiving a portion of the couple's estate. If it weren't such a solemn occasion she would expend the energy to cast a sneer at the Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, Cornelius Oswald Fudge. There was a complete and utter waste of space, and if he was ever elected to replace Bagnold Augusta would seriously consider leaving Europe altogether.

But she wasn't here for Fudge. She wasn't even really here for the Flamels, though she would never dishonor herself by admitting to such. Madam Longbottom was here because of young Hera Cullen. When her grandson had informed her that the little girl with the bright green wings had healed her brave and noble son and daughter-in-law, the formidable witch had felt a longing deep in her gut before she forcefully banished it. She was tired of hoping for things that she knew were impossible. She was also growing weary of having to disappoint Neville as well.

She may be hard on the boy in her attempts to have him grow up strong, but dangling his parents in front of him only to keep snatching them out of his reach was unnecessarily cruel.

Everything changed, however, the next day when she received a frantic floo call from Director Tuddle. Alice and Frank were awake and demanding to see Neville. At first she'd pinched herself, determined that she had to be dreaming. Augusta had been told by countless healers of both mind and body that poor Frank and Alice would be in a state of catatonia for the remainder of their lives. This was impossible!

Madam Longbottom refused to get Neville's hopes up in the event Tuddle was mistaken. She told her grandson to dress quickly because she had some business to take care of at St. Mungo's and he was to accompany her. She was fully prepared to turn the director into a flobberworm if this turned out to be a sick joke. Words could never express the joy she had felt when she saw Alice sitting up and talking to one of the healers surrounding their bed. Frank was sleeping, but he soon woke up when Neville began sobbing in the arms of his mother.

Augusta Longbottom publicly cried for the first time since her beloved husband passed away.

Later that night, after she and Neville had left Frank and Alice to rest, she had her grandson tell her everything he knew about the young winged creature. When he told her that Hera claimed to be a phoenix, she was startled. Phoenixes were incredibly rare and hadn't been seen for centuries, as far as she knew. Neville, who had only heard about the bird, mistook Hera for that variety, which were known for the healing power of their tears.

Apparently he wasn't far off.

The very next day Augusta penned an invitation to tea and addressed it to Hera Cullen and her family. The Longbottoms owed the child a great debt and she was determined to let them know this. She promptly received a reply from the girl's father, Carlisle. He politely declined her offer, stating the family was grieving the loss of the Flamels, but they would be happy to meet with her before they returned to America later in the week. Both parties had agreed to get together for lunch after the memorial service and will reading.

* * *

When the memorial service was concluded, during which the goblin speaking had outlined the lives of Nicolas and Perenelle quite beautifully, the will reading began. The large moving portrait was then levitated from its place behind the multitude of flower arrangements and placed directly in front of the large crowd of mourners. The painted likeness of Hera's uncle began to speak and hearing that beloved voice again caused a fresh wave of grief to pour through her. She hid her face in Edward's suit jacket as he pulled her close.

"Hello, my friends," exclaimed the painted alchemist. "We're very glad to see that so many of you have come to see us off, so to speak. By the way, that was a lovely service, Foulclaw." The goblin he had addressed nodded in thanks. "It brings to mind the time Nelle and I attended the funeral of that elven priestess…."

"Nicolas," Perenelle interrupted with a sigh. She briefly glared at her husband before facing the audience. "In our many years of life, the two of us have been blessed with a large family. Sadly, our last blood relative passed away fifty years ago without any heirs." Nelle looked out into the crowd and smiled sadly when she saw little Hera crying on Edward's shoulder. "Though we have no blood kin remaining, we have long ago found that blood does not always a family make."

Nicolas placed a hand on his wife's shoulder. "We have also been blessed to amass many wonderful friends throughout the years, but there's one person who we've come to adore as family. And though she calls us Aunt and Uncle, she has become like a daughter to us. Hera Jasmine Cullen has been named as our heiress and, therefore, will inherit all of our worldly possessions."

Hera wiped her eyes with the handkerchief Rosalie handed her and faced the portrait once more.

Perenelle smiled lovingly at the child. "We've discovered over the years that this little girl has a limitless capacity for love and forgiveness. We feel that she would be the most likely person to continue our work of trying to make this world a more peaceful place to live for all beings."

In a broken voice, Hera answered, "Thank you Aunt Nelle and Uncle Nick."

Nicolas smiled. "Of course management of an estate such as ours is not a healthy task to give a… what grade are you in now, tenth?"

Hera giggled. "Second!"

"Right… that was my next guess," he winked at his niece. "Anyway, that's too much for a second-grader to handle, so we're going to make your parents Esme and Carlisle take care of everything while you focus on growing up, okay princess?"

Hera nodded. "Okay."

Perenelle smiled at the entire Cullen family as the crowd began to disperse. "Carlisle, our good friend Foulclaw will take all of you back into his office to hash out some of the details now that the service has concluded, alright?"

Carlisle smiled amiably. "Of course, my lady."

He turned as the family were approached by Augusta Longbottom and her grandson Neville, who shyly waved to Hera. The phoenix smiled and waved back, much to Edward's annoyance. He made a note to ask his son why he was suddenly wary of the adorable little boy later, despite a warning glare flashed in his direction.

"Madam Longbottom, it is a pleasure to see you once again," Carlisle exclaimed as he kissed the back of her hand. "If you don't mind waiting while we conclude our business with the goblins, we would all love to have you and young Neville join us for lunch."

The witch gave a tight smile and nodded. "A true gentleman, Mr. Cullen. You don't see many of those around any longer." She gave a sharp look to her grandson. "Take note, Neville… that is how one is meant to greet a lady!"

"Yes gran," Neville blushed.

"Of course we wouldn't mind waiting, Carlisle. Take all the time you need. Neville and I will be waiting for you in the front lobby."

* * *

Thanks again to all readers/reviewers :)

I've had one person complain about me making Dumbledore into a bad guy, but it's kind of necessary that he not be the pillar of light and goodness everyone believes him to be.  
I'll do my best to not make him evil personified, though.


	6. The Aid of Goblins

See chapter 1 for disclaimer

**Chapter 6 – The Aid of Goblins**

Hera stole one last look at the moving portrait of her aunt and uncle, worried that she'd never get to see it again, before the chamber doors closed. Sighing, she grabbed Rosalie's hand and followed her family into the darkened halls of Gringotts Bank. Before they could move too far, their group was approached by the old wizard she had seen sitting with the Potters. He had a long gray beard and was wearing the oddest set of wizarding robes she had ever seen… they were a bright blue and had stars zooming around on the material. Edward immediately grabbed her free hand and she was glad he did.

There was something about the man she didn't like. Hera couldn't explain it, but the closer he came to her the stronger she felt a sense of distrust. It wasn't as bad as the feeling she got around the creepy janitor who worked at her school when she was in kindergarten. That man had made her very uncomfortable and one day when he'd accidently brushed against her in the hall his touch had burned like fire! That night she'd hesitantly told Edward about it, worried that he'd think she was overreacting, yet hoping he would come up with a reason why those things were happening. But all he did was smile and tell her not to worry about it because he'd take care of everything.

It was weird because she never saw the creepy man again after that and Rosalie kept worrying about having to move.

But this man, even though she didn't think his touch would burn her, she didn't want to test that theory.

"Ah hello, my friends," the old wizard looked at them all as if they were his favorite people in the world. Hera felt Emmett's hands on her shoulders and was reassured by their strength. "Allow me to introduce myself! My name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot…."

His spiel was interrupted by their goblin escort, Foulclaw. "That's wonderful, Headmaster, but my clients have an appointment at the current time. Time is galleons, as we say here at Gringotts, and everyone knows that when we lose time – we lose galleons. When we lose galleons," Foulclaw pulled his sword partway from its sheath, "heads will roll. May we continue?"

Dumbledore immediately nodded and smiled. "Of course, of course! I'll meet up with you fine people after your appointment." He began chuckling as he waved them off. "Best to not keep a goblin waiting!"

* * *

Edward refused to let go of Hera's hand until they were safely ensconced in Foulclaw's office. The things he saw in Dumbledore's head chilled him. He knew the aged headmaster thought his mind was well protected by his occlumency barriers, but such obstacles have never impeded his gift. As Nicolas had theorized when they'd first met, because Edward did not need to make eye contact with his target, his talent must work on a different frequency than a wizard's mind magic. Since then, whenever the Flamels had wanted to keep their thoughts protected they simply adopted the trick his family used of doing equations or singing an obnoxious song in their heads.

Of course different magical beings had different kinds of minds and magic, and therefore his gift may or may not work, depending on the species. Goblin minds, he discovered, were impenetrable. It was a great relief to be among so many of them and not have their every thought broadcast. Hera's mind was of course open to him, but sometimes her thoughts were a little more difficult to access. He wasn't sure if it could be attributed to her growing powers or their bond, but he supposed he'd find out one day.

Speaking of Hera, her gasp of delight pulled him from his musings. He followed her line of sight and smiled when he saw that the portrait of the Flamels had been brought to the office ahead of them. Foulclaw's office was massive. He must have been someone of great import to have earned a workplace this grand. The room was tastefully painted in a mixture of greys and blues. A large desk took up a great deal of space to the left while the walls were covered in bookshelves. Edward smirked when he caught Jasper wondering if he'd be allowed to peruse the ancient-looking tomes.

His brother was such a bookworm!

Foulclaw waved a hand, closing and locking the door while simultaneously conjuring extra chairs in front of his desk so that everyone would have a place to sit. The vampires thanked him for his courtesy before taking a seat. Hera had immediately chosen the chair closest to the Flamels' portrait and spent her time trading smiles with the much-loved faces of her aunt and uncle.

Carlisle smiled at their host before saying, "We'd like to thank you for the lovely ceremony… I'm sorry, do I call you "Mr. Foulclaw"? I'm afraid I have no knowledge of the customs of goblins."

The goblin smiled, which looked somewhat frightening considering the large amount of pointy teeth the creature had. "If it were anyone else, I'd instruct you to call me "Vice Director Foulclaw," however, because you were close friends with my oldest clients and because you don't look at me as if I should be shining your shoes while we talk business, you may call me Foulclaw."

The vampire patriarch smiled genially as he shook the goblin's hand. "Well then I insist you call me Carlisle." He then went on to introduce the rest of the family, who all gave a smile and wave to their host.

After the offer of refreshments for Hera, since the goblin obviously knew the rest of them were vampires, were declined, Foulclaw began the meeting. "You were all asked to meet with me directly after the service for a few reasons. The first is so that we can sign the paperwork in regards to young Hera's inheritance." He dug through his desk to find the necessary forms, then instructed Carlisle, Esme, and Hera on where to sign using a blood quill.

When Esme told him she and Carlisle didn't have blood, the goblin smiled again and said it also worked with venom. As soon as she began writing her name, the venom slightly burned the parchment creating an eerie effect. Though Hera barely flinched as the quill's magic cut into her skin, Edward growled uncontrollably until Foulclaw healed her hand and vanished the blood. He was smirking the entire time as if amused by Edward's responses.

"Okay, as I'm sure you have discovered from reading the parchment, this is basically your acknowledgement that, while Hera has inherited the entirety of the Flamel estate, you two hold the responsibility of management and upkeep until she turns seventeen years of age." He then pulled out a different set of scrolls. "It is by no means required, but should you wish to leave the estate management in my hands for a yearly fee, which fluctuates depending upon interest earned, I would be honored to take that responsibility."

Foulclaw passed over the appropriate scrolls for Carlisle to read. "My duties would include both property and ward upkeep, ensuring the taxes are paid on time, and handling any investments tied to the estate." He began rifling through the parchment before him. "The Flamels have, over the centuries, invested in a good number of endeavors… most of which pertain to the rights of magical beings. You can, of course, choose to make changes at any time. One of my tasks would be to keep you abreast on the things which are losing money because, (should you choose me as your estate manager), anything which loses **you** money will lose me money."

Carlisle chuckled and signed the document, followed by his wife and daughter. "Well if Nicolas and Perenelle were satisfied with your skills, that's good enough for us."

Nicolas beamed from his portrait. "Satisfied isn't a strong enough word, my friend. Had you turned down Foulclaw's offer I would have found a way to hex you from here! He's been a close friend of ours ever since the first cart ride we took with him way back in the 1800's. I remember that Nelle hated the journey, but after I asked him if he'd mind taking us within view of the dragons she'd perked right up!" Hera giggled. "It wasn't until later that I found out that goblins weren't allowed to do that."

Foulclaw huffed. "And Ragnok still doesn't know about that, so if you'd like me to keep my head you'd best not tell that story any longer."

Perenelle elbowed her husband. "Of course, Foulclaw dear. Keeping this wizard's mouth shut is a full-time endeavor, but I dare say I have no regrets in taking the job all those years ago." The couple in the portrait shared a loving kiss, causing Hera to wrinkle her nose and look away.

The goblin also shook his head and refocused his attention on his guests. "The second reason I've brought you here is a little more serious than finances. The Flamels have told me that while Hera has been legally adopted by you and Esme, she has not been magically adopted."

Carlisle frowned in concern. "Not to my knowledge. When we adopted Hera we were forced to acquire signed permission from the Dursleys. Though they didn't treat her well, they still had her registered with the non-magical government in order to receive compensation for her supposed care," he ignored Edward's almost feral growl. "But vampires are barely tolerated in the magical communities, so I can't imagine we would be considered appropriate caregivers for any child."

"Why would we need to magically adopt her anyway," Rosalie asked with a sour expression on her face. "We don't live in the magical world."

Foulclaw pondered the question for a bit. "While that is true, I'm afraid that because Hera is a magical creature and a minor, the ministry would be able to supersede any non-magical guardian should they wish to do so. In normal circumstances, that wouldn't be an issue. The ministry rarely concerns themselves with the affairs of us lesser beings," the goblin sneered, "unless we're behaving in a disagreeable manner. However, because Hera is the true child of prophecy, not to mention an extremely rare and valued race, you can be certain they will be sticking their abnormally large noses in."

Hera looked confused. "Child of pro… prophet see?"

Edward cringed. He hadn't wanted Hera to know about the prophecy. Carlisle had read all about it in the Daily Prophet he'd picked up in St. Mungo's. Of course the Cullens had instantly recognized the fact that the wizards were hailing the wrong twin as savior, but thought that to be a blessing. They had agreed to take care of everything they'd needed to do in the magical community, then sneak back off to their happy lives in America, leaving the corrupt wizarding world none the wiser.

He leaned in to whisper in Hera's ear. "I'll explain it later, sunshine."

She nodded, then resumed swinging her legs in a childish fashion.

Esme worried her hands. "Is there nothing we can do to keep them away from her?"

The goblin smiled once again. "I'm glad you asked that question, my dear."

* * *

Thanks for reading/reviewing!


	7. The Newest Goblins

Disclaimer found in first chapter

**Author's Note:** If you'll recall from the first chapter, I failed at my every attempt to construct a believable prophecy. **riceb0x**, however, was nice enough to put one together for me. Please give all credit to whom it's due :)

**Chapter 7 – The Newest Goblins**

Carlisle interrupted their goblin host when a worry hit him. "I'm sorry, Foulclaw, but would you mind if I let Madam Longbottom know our meeting is running long? Perhaps we should postpone our lunch date until this business is settled… I'd hate for she and her grandson to expire from hunger," he added with a smile.

The goblin waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "No need to worry, Carlisle. A simple goblin time charm has been activated on this room as soon as I sealed it, as well as another for privacy. When we have concluded our meeting you will find that not near as much time has passed to those outside these walls." He smiled. "I wasn't kidding when I told Dumbledore time was galleons."

The doctor shared an amazed glance with his family. "Remarkable!"

Foulclaw leaned back in his chair and folded his long spindly fingers together. "Are you aware that as soon as you step foot in any branch of Gringotts you are technically in another country?"

Carlisle shook his head. "No, we weren't aware."

The goblin nodded. "Yes. The land upon which this bank sits, as well as a great deal below Diagon Alley is considered sovereign soil… owned by the goblin nation and ruled strictly by our laws." Foulclaw stood up and began pacing. "It was a stipulation we insisted upon in our last treaty with the wizards. We agreed to manage their money and they agreed to abide by our laws whilst inside this building." He turned to look at the vampires and phoenix.

"This is why I could so subtly threaten to decapitate the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards without having to worry about repercussions." Foulclaw retook his seat. "Had I done that outside this grand building I would probably be sitting in a ministry holding cell for my audacity, and expecting death."

Esme frowned in thought. "So are you offering sanctuary to Hera, here in Gringotts?"

Foulclaw shook his head. "I'm offering a lot more than sanctuary, my lady. I'm offering you and your family something which has never been extended to anyone outside the goblin race. I have asked for, and been granted permission by our king, to offer you citizenship."

The Cullen family stared, flabbergasted.

"Should you accept, you would be considered full goblins by everyone both within these walls and without. You would be treated the same as any of our citizens, and should anyone outside this bank attempt to cause you harm, they would be breaking our treaty and bringing war down upon their heads."

Carlisle sat stunned for a minute before running his fingers through his blonde hair. "That is… well, we are beyond honored that you would consider granting us that privilege, Foulclaw, but what exactly does this entail? Are you sure you and your people wish to take responsibility for a child that the Ministry of Magic will soon be desperate to control?"

Foulclaw chuckled. "We are a warrior race, Carlisle. Goblins are responsible for not only crafting the finest weapons, but also mastering them." He sighed. "However, just because we never shy away from a fight, it does not mean that we don't also cherish times of peace."

The goblin stood and opened a cabinet behind his desk. He pulled out a thick tome which looked to be centuries old and flipped through it until he reached a page in the back. "This is the prophecy our seers foretold about your daughter. It says:

"_The Dark Lord returns  
And the Light again burns  
He will bring terror and fear  
So much blood and tears  
To end this madness  
Follow the trail of sadness  
Beloved by the Wild  
The Potter's Phoenix Child._"

Foulclaw snapped the massive book closed. He rested his gaze on Hera, who had at some point fallen asleep against her mate. "We're not asking you to move down here with us. We're also not asking you to forget about your lives in America. And we're certainly not asking you to place your seven-year-old daughter on the front lines of a war – especially one of which the wizards brought upon themselves.

"But, this prophecy will be fulfilled," he said, patting the book before him. "And when it is, believe me when I say that you will be much safer with the goblin nation at your back." Foulclaw returned the book to the cabinet before facing the shocked vampires. "So what do you say?"

Carlisle traded looks with his family. They had been a family for so many years that they could often read each other without speaking. Turning back to Foulclaw, the vampire patriarch nodded. "I say we would be stupid to refuse your offer."

* * *

The meeting with Foulclaw was soon wrapped up and the eight newest members of the goblin nation left the office to keep their lunch appointment.

Edward supposed it was too much to hope that Dumbledore had left when he saw the old wizard making small talk with Lady Longbottom. Both stood when they saw the Cullens making their way through the lobby. He tightened his grip on Hera's hand as she sleepily trudged along beside him.

"Ah, Carlisle," Augusta nodded. "I trust you finished your business?"

The vampire smiled. "Indeed we did, madam."

"Good." She looked to Dumbledore. "Albus, have you met the Cullens yet?"

Blue eyes twinkled behind half-moon glasses. "I'm afraid I haven't yet had the pleasure, dear Augusta. We were interrupted earlier, I'm sad to say."

Nodding brusquely, the stern woman quickly introduced the Cullens to the headmaster before politely excusing herself and her grandson. "If you don't mind, Albus, we have a prior engagement and you know Longbottoms are never late."

"I wouldn't dream of holding you up, my dear. Perhaps you wouldn't mind one extra person, however. I would be happy to volunteer my office for the occasion, and I'd been intending to request a meeting with the Cullens, myself." He smiled widely. "Why not kill two basilisks with one rooster, my friends?"

Mrs. Longbottom scoffed. "I think not, headmaster. If you want to meet with the Cullens, then you can do as I did and send your own invitation." She pulled Neville toward the door. "Now we have things to discuss that are, quite frankly, none of your concern. It was nice seeing you again, Albus, and I bid you good day." With the clear dismissal, Albus Dumbledore was left standing in the lobby of Gringotts scratching his head.

* * *

Edward glared at the table as Hera and Neville giggled to each other over their sandwiches. His mate blushed when the young wizard offered her his pickle and firmly ignored Jasper's thoughts as he started singing that obnoxious children's song about the two kids sitting in a tree kissing in his head. Jasper was going to get hurt if he didn't stop poking the angry vampire. In a last ditch effort to save the lives of Augusta's grandson and his own brother, he refocused his attention on the conversation between Carlisle and the witch.

"I won't hear of it, Augusta," his father said. "I'm beyond thrilled that whatever Hera did at the hospital brought back your son and daughter-in-law, but my family considers the Longbottoms to be friends, and there's no debts between friends."

Augusta huffed. "Well, be that as it may, the Longbottoms are going to ally themselves with the Cullens whether you like it or not, you stubborn vampire." She watched the easy interaction between her grandson and Hera for a while. "You know those two are getting on like Frank and Alice did when they were children. You wouldn't be willing to consider a marriage contract, would you?"

A large crack startled the group as a chunk of the table broke under Edward's grip. He looked up sheepishly. "Sorry."

Emmett and Jasper began snickering, making Edward long to cause them pain. Esme turned to the confused witch and informed her that they appreciated the offer, but wanted Hera to marry out of love.

Edward couldn't wait to get back to Alaska.

* * *

As soon as the will reading had concluded, James and Lily left the bank as quickly as possible. Both were bound and determined to get their daughter back, but needed to find a way to do so that wouldn't result in them being ostracized from the wizarding world. Sirius and Remus were confused to be asked to come along, only for them to rush out of there as if the building were on fire.

Charlus was also confused and upset. His mum and dad had all but promised him a large amount of money, only to tell him they had made a mistake. Disappointment wasn't a strong enough word for how the young boy felt, and his parents were having to suffer through his constant whining and tantrums. James had finally got him to settle down by promising him his own racing broom, much to his wife's consternation.

"Why didn't your sister let us know she'd given Hera up?" James paced back and forth in his study as Lily sat despondently on the loveseat.

She glared at the bespectacled man. "And how would she contact us, James? Owl? Floo? We don't have a muggle postal address as far as I'm aware." She began to cry. "Oh merlin, James… we gave our baby girl away and now she's living with dark creatures! Vampires!"

James growled and flopped down beside the red haired woman. "I know! Damn that Albus Dumbledore! She's a harpy, he says." He picked up one of the small trinkets that he had placed to decorate his desk and threw it against the far wall. It made a satisfying crash as it hit the plaster. "You don't want this to get out, James… what would the public think if a family as purportedly light as yours were to be tied to such a dark creature," James mimicked the aged wizard. "Stupid old goat!"

Lily groaned and covered her head. "It's not just Dumbledore's fault, James… he didn't **force** us to give up our daughter!" She glared at him, uncaring about the lines of mascara running down her face from crying. "Forget about Dumbledore and help me figure out a way to get Hera back with us before those creatures completely corrupt her."

James settled back on the couch and put his arm around his wife. "I know, love. We'll come up with something. Do you think the ministry would believe she was kidnapped by the vampires?"

She snorted. "With all the effort we went through to hide her from even our closest friends? Not a chance. Even Sirius and Remus don't know we had twins."

James nodded, scrunching his face in thought. "What if… what if we claim to have had prior warning of the prophecy and chose to hide her for her own safety? We can say we placed her with a loving family and later discovered she had been taken by vampires?"

Lily thought for a while. "And when they ask why we never looked for Hera after she was taken?"

Her husband shrugged. "We didn't know until we saw her at the service because we knew keeping in contact with her would endanger that safety. Fearing Hera's captors would harm her, we left without confronting them, rushing to the foster family's last known address only to find the house empty. You and I will just pick an empty muggle house at random, make up some fake names, and let the aurors handle the vampires. The ministry will just assume that the dark creatures ate the muggles and absconded with our daughter. The entire coven will be destroyed for their supposed crime."

The witch nodded. "You're right… they'll never think to check with the muggles to confirm our story. The vampires will die and we'll get our baby back." Lily conjured a cloth to wipe her face free of both tears and make-up. "Do you think Charlus will get along with her?"

James smiled. "I think there will be a transitional period in which both Hera and Charlus will need to settle down and get used to the change, but we'll get there in the end."

"Do you think they'll be mad that we've been taking advantage of Charlus' fame," she asked. As soon as the public had heard the prophecy, they'd been showering the Potters in praises and gifts. Lily worried that they would lose that once the truth came out, or at least their version of the truth.

Shaking his head, James dismissed her worries with a wave of their hand. "No, my love. Once they hear about the tragic ordeal little Hera has gone through by being brought up in the hands of those monsters, they'll be just as thankful to us as they have been, if not more."

Lily finally smiled now that she was so close to getting her daughter back. "That's true, darling. After all, they still need little Hera if they wish to have any hope of surviving Voldemort. Speaking of the bastard, has there yet been any sign of his return?"

"Not yet. Before the Flamels' service Albus said Snivellus' mark was darkening, but hasn't fully come back yet."

The redhead sighed. "I do wish you'd stop calling him that. Do you know how juvenile it sounds?"

James shook his head. "Sorry love, but the name fits."

* * *

Thanks for reading/reviewing!


	8. Here There Be Dragons

See chapter 1 for disclaimer

**Note:** This chapter is dedicated to BePeachy… hope it's what you wanted ;) Part of the chapter will reference the one-shot entitled "Baby Talk" that's found in my companion story, "Phoenix Rising – Extras." You may be a little confused if you hadn't read it, but not much.

**Chapter 8 – Here There Be Dragons**

After the delightful lunch with Lady Longbottom and her grandson, the Cullens left to grab their belongings and check out of their hotel. Though they weren't scheduled to depart the magical world for three more days, Foulclaw had convinced the family to spend the remainder of their time with the goblins. Worried about Hera's safety until their new citizenship was realized, the Cullens happily acquiesced.

"We have issued a statement to the ministry, and are planning to give another to the Daily Prophet in regards to your new status," Foulclaw was explaining to Carlisle as the cart zoomed down the tracks towards the goblins' living areas. "I would feel more secure if you'd keep a low profile on the surface until it becomes common knowledge. Perhaps it would be best to have a guard with you when you feel the need to go out. No need to invite trouble," he added with a chuckle.

Hera was loving the cart ride and had her hands spread out, pretending as if she were flying. The irony of her being a flying creature was lost on her as she savored the feel of the wind blowing her hair back. Hearing a loud roar from somewhere deep in the darkness, she gasped in excitement. "Is that the **dragon**?"

Foulclaw smirked upon seeing her enjoyment of the trip. "Indeed it is, Hera." The goblin turned a dial on the front of the cart, causing it to suddenly veer to the right. "You know, it's not against the rules for goblins to show the dragons to other goblins," he casually threw out, causing the girl's green eyes to widen with joy.

Edward, who'd had his arms wrapped tightly around his mate since the speedy ride began, shook his head in amusement. "I just hope the dragon doesn't try to fry us in the attempt to save her."

At the goblin's questioning look, Emmett snickered. "You'll see."

"Our little Hera has quite a way with animals," Alice added, affectionately tousling the child's hair.

Foulclaw shook his head and refocused on driving the cart. He wasn't sure he wanted to know to what they were referring.

Before long, they were slowing down. The dragon paddock was teeming with life as workers went about their duties. The vampires and phoenix were given many curious looks, though none were hostile. Four giant Ukrainian Ironbellies could easily be seen as the group disembarked, one of which was a nesting mother the goblins had affectionately named "Skull Crusher."

Chuckling when he noticed the vampires seemed reluctant to get near the beasts, Foulclaw decided to put their minds at ease. "Worry not. There are a plethora of charms woven throughout the enclosure for protection. While the dragons are still able to breathe fire, it will not be able to escape their cage." He was about to relay some interesting facts about the animals when young Hera squealed in excitement and disappeared in a flash of green flames, only to reappear near the nest of the most terrifying beast.

Gasping in horror, he immediately snapped out orders in gobbledygook. The dragon handlers scrambled to get to the young child out of the pen before Skull Crusher ate the foolish youngling. He was briefly surprised that the Cullens seemed almost calm in the face of their daughter's imminent demise. He was about to question their sanity when an odd sound rang through the air, causing him to face the nesting female. Every single goblin stared in shocked disbelief as their most fearsome dragon, one who was abnormally cranky on her **best** days, was purring as the tiny phoenix rubbed her belly.

This was the very first time the goblins had ever heard a dragon purr. They didn't even know dragons **could** purr. Turning to look at Hera's father, he gawked as the vampire smiled and shrugged. "Like Alice said… Hera has a way with animals."

* * *

After the dragon incident, which caused two tamers to drink themselves into a stupor, Hera was thereafter known by the goblins as "Dragon Tamer." Foulclaw was certain that the Cullens had no idea of the significance of the moniker. When a goblin has managed to do something worthy of notice, they were given an appropriate title to commemorate the achievement. For Hera to be awarded such a name the very same day she was given citizenship was next to impossible. Some goblins waited years for such an honor to be bestowed upon them, while others never accomplished it.

Foulclaw was certain that if their king had felt any shred of doubt in regards to adopting this family into their race, Hera had firmly obliterated it.

* * *

Hera stepped over Emmett's long legs and plopped down on the couch between him and Edward. Jasper had Alice on his lap, and they were whispering and giggling together while Rosalie had gone into hers and Emmett's room minutes before to read. Her mom and dad were off with Foulclaw discussing the article they were going to get the wizards to publish in their newspaper.

Hera had been wanting to talk to her Edward about something, and from the way he simultaneously sighed and looked like a cornered animal, he'd read her mind and didn't particularly want to.

"Not really… no. Aren't you hungry? I can whip up something for you really quick. You didn't finish your sandwich at lunch." Edward stood up quickly, causing their siblings to stare at him in curiosity.

Hera huffed. "No… why don't you like Neville, Edward? He's nice!"

Edward groaned as everyone but Hera started laughing at him.

"Yes, Edward," Emmett interjected. "You should be nicer to sweet little Neville. Who knows, he may one day become your brother-in-law!" The large vampire laughed harder when Edward started growling at him.

Hera was getting frustrated. Everyone was laughing at Edward and she didn't know why. "Edward Anthony Mason Cullen, tell me!" She stomped her foot on the floor and glared at the tawny-haired vampire for good measure. The girl really had no idea how cute she was when she pouted.

Sighing, Edward nodded and reached for her hand. He gave a final glare to the laughing vampires before swinging his mate onto his back and zooming out of the rooms they'd been given by the goblins at full speed. Finally reaching a place where he was certain they wouldn't be overheard, Edward stopped and helped her down. He sighed again and sat down on the stone bench overlooking a large scenic grotto before patting the spot beside him.

"I hadn't wanted to have this conversation with you until you were older, but I guess it's okay to talk about it now."

Hera frowned in confusion. "Is this about why you don't like my friend Neville?"

Edward grabbed her hand and turned to face her. "I don't dislike Neville, Hera… my vampire does."

"But why?"

"Because…." He ran his fingers through his hair in an agitated manner. Lowering his eyes, Edward continued. "Because it's jealous."

Hera's eyes softened at hearing the earnest confession. "Oh Edward, there's nothing to be jealous about. Just because I like Neville doesn't mean I don't want to hang around with you too!"

Edward smiled sadly before cuffing the child's chin. "Hera, do you know what a mate is?"

Remembering her very weird conversation with Emmett about the wolves, Hera nodded. "Yes. They make babies together."

The vampire gave her an odd look before shrugging. "Well, yes… eventually, but it's so much more than that. Many creatures, especially magical creatures, have what's known as destined mates. A mate is someone you're linked to… someone who you love and who loves you back." He squeezed her hand.

"Hera," Edward continued, "my vampire recognized you as my mate the very second I laid eyes on you four years ago. In that moment, I immediately became your protector and your best friend, all rolled into one."

Hera nodded in understanding. She'd always felt a pull to Edward. Sometimes it confused her because she didn't really think of him as her brother. Could this mate thing be why?

Edward nodded in response to her thoughts. "Yes. You're too young now, but when you grow up your phoenix will let you know that I'm your mate and you'll find yourself having different feelings for me, and I for you."

The young phoenix stared vacantly at the grotto, deep in thought. Seeing if she'd been on the same page as her mate, Hera asked, "So, when I grow up you and me will get married?"

Edward nodded, seemingly relieved that she was taking this so calmly. "If you want to, yes. But that won't be for a very long time, and I promise that nothing will ever happen that you're not ready for. I just wanted to let you know why my vampire has been short with the Longbottom boy. It was worried that you would one day develop feelings for him and I'd be left alone."

Hera threw her arms around Edward's neck. He returned the embrace immediately. "Edward, I wouldn't ever let you be alone… you know that!"

The vampire chuckled wryly. "Yeah… I guess I just needed to hear it though."

They sat contemplating things in silence for a while before Hera asked, "So how long after we get married do you have to ask Emmett's permission to put your penis in my vagina and make a baby?"

"WHAT?!"

* * *

Thank you all for the beautiful reviews!


	9. Emmett McCarty: Game Master

See chapter 1 for disclaimer

**Note:** This one is for Ace Trainer Jessie. Also, I had planned to skip over the interaction between Edward and Emmett after Hera's bombshell at the end of last chapter, but so many people mentioned looking forward to it in their review. I hope it lives up to your expectations!

**Chapter 9 – Emmett McCarty: Game Master**

The door to their home under Gringotts slammed open, startling everyone. When a very angry Edward cast his eyes on Emmett, the larger vampire actually gulped in nervousness. "Where's Hera?" He knew no matter what he'd done, his brother would never hurt him too badly in front of his mate. The answer he received wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"She flashed over to visit the dragons." Edward prowled around the room until he was standing directly in front of Emmett. "Something you want to tell me?"

Jasper frowned in concern and tried to bring Edward's rage down a few notches. The angry vampire briefly glanced at him before focusing once more on his target.

Emmett resisted the urge to gulp again. He spread his hands and shrugged, truly not knowing what he'd done to piss the other vampire off so much. "Um… not that I know of. What's up?"

"What's up? You really don't know what's up?"

Confusion filled the brawny vampire before he started to get agitated. "Look bro… **you're** the mind reader, not me. I truly don't know what's got your panties in a wad, but if you tell me then maybe I can defend myself!"

Edward's black eyes stared deeply into Emmett's amber. "My panties are in a wad because my seven-year-old mate just asked me when I had to get your permission in order for me to put my penis in her vagina and make a baby!" The last was yelled so loudly that Carlisle and Esme probably heard it from Foulclaw's office.

Jasper, Alice, and Rosalie all snapped out, "What?!" simultaneously and immediately surrounded Emmett with anger coloring their faces. He was going to be lucky to get out of this with his head still attached to his shoulders.

Throwing his hands up in a placating manner, Emmett began sputtering. "You… you got it all wrong, guys! Hera was watching… and then I grabbed the remote, but her eyes were like lasers… Alice and the animal she was hunting started laughing at me… I did my best, and I didn't go into details!"

The four vampires' anger was soon replaced by bewilderment, and Jasper began pondering out loud on whether or not one of their kind could go insane. Once Emmett had satisfactorily explained the incident as it had truly occurred, everyone was looking less like they wanted to roast him in a dragon's pen.

"Look, I'm sorry… she was curious about the wolves and I thought I could handle it in a mature manner, but… well." Emmett shrugged helplessly.

Edward, his emotions much lighter now that he had the entire truth, pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just… don't ever educate Hera on sex again, okay?"

Emmett snorted. "No worries there, bro. Not the most fun thing I've done in my life, let me tell you!"

* * *

Emmett McCarty was bored. Uber bored. He wasn't used to going so long without some form of entertainment device. The vampire had drug out his laptop, only to discover that goblins apparently didn't have electrical outlets. His tedium was quickly reaching critical levels. If it went any higher he was going to have to resort to drastic measures, such as borrowing a book from Jasper. If Hera were here he would play a game with her. The last time he'd challenged her to hide and seek she'd almost won.

Emmett had never expected her to flash herself to the roof.

Alas, the phoenix was helping the chief dragon handler with his task of checking the nesting female's eggs as Edward watched. Apparently the task usually took a force of no less than twelve goblins with a healer on hand and a stockpile of burn cream and bandages. Now all that was needed was Hera and someone to run scans on the dragon's young. It wasn't nearly as exciting as the job had been before Dragon Tamer came, but Emmett was still kind of sorry he was missing it.

Carlisle and Esme were off with Foulclaw, Alice and Jasper had slipped off to have a little alone time, and Rose was still pissed at him for feeding Hera lies while trying to answer her questions on mating. Deciding to explore the caverns, Emmett stuck his hands in his pockets and left. Not long into his trek he met a group of goblins who nodded politely. Recognizing one as someone he'd met at the dragon paddock, the vampire happily nodded back.

"Yo Ironfang, good to see you again!" He put on his best desperate expression. "Help me out, guys… what do you do for fun around here?"

Ironfang chuckled, displaying his sharp teeth. "We train."

Emmett's hopeful face fell. "That's it? Your idea of fun is to stand around and hit each other with swords and axes?"

Goblin laughter rang through the cavern. They were obviously amused by the vampire's response before a strange goblin who introduced himself as Rockfury latched on to his arm and pulled him toward what appeared to be a large arena. "Not quite."

Once they had reached their destination, Emmett's jaw dropped. Before him were multiple platforms, each one of which stood adjacent to the wall. A large rectangular portion of wall next to the platforms were covered in runes. He watched eagerly as Rockfury climbed upon one of the raised areas. The rune-covered space closest to him immediately lit up like a huge television screen displaying two characters, one of which was identical to the goblin!

Rockfury grabbed a practice sword from a nearby stand and readied his stance, the image representing himself following his moves exactly. His opponent was the fabricated image of another goblin, dressed in full battle armor, and carrying an axe that looked too heavy for **anyone** to properly wield.

Without warning, the fake goblin attacked without mercy, causing him to immediately go on the defense. The virtual battle lasted less than five minutes before Rockfury's character's head went flying off into the distance. As soon as he stepped off of the platform, the screen went back to the runic symbols and the other goblins cheered at his success at having lasted so long.

Emmett, for once in his life, was utterly speechless. Goblins had unknowingly created a video game out of runes! Looking more excited than he could ever remember being, he grabbed Rockfury by the shoulders and begged to have a turn. Everyone cheered at his eagerness before he was quickly situated on a platform with the practice sword in hand.

By his tenth effort, he had successfully beaten Rockfury's attempt.

On his thirty-fifth try, he'd managed to defeat his video opponent and had earned the title of "Game Master."

Rosalie, who had gone searching for her missing husband at around three in the morning, dragged him from the platform kicking and screaming. The goblins, whose numbers had grown exponentially since he first found out about the joys of the training program, laughed uproariously at the sight.

* * *

The next morning, Emmett and Jasper were talking excitedly about the "video game" the goblins had designed as Edward listened. He was constantly surprised by the cleverness of this race and flabbergasted that wizards could ever expect them to be subservient to anyone. Hera ate her breakfast, listening attentively at the exchange. She declined Esme's offer of her more pancakes, thanking her mama for the feast.

A thump hit the front door, and Hera went to see what had made that sound as Esme happily washed the dirty dishes. "It's the newspaper, daddy!"

Her black hair, freshly brushed by her personal stylist Rosalie, bounced as she ran to hand the publication to Carlisle. Everyone went silent, hoping the article outlining their goblin citizenship had made it into this edition of the Daily Prophet. "Do you think it's in there?"

The father chuckled at his spirited daughter. "I don't know, princess. I guess we're about to find out."

He opened the paper, scowling immediately at the headline. Edward, who had peeked into his father's mind began growling. "Well, we're in here, but it isn't because of the article Foulclaw submitted to his source in the Daily Prophet."

Esme frowned. "Well what else would cause us to be front page news, darling?"

Carlisle glared at the image of them at Nicolas and Perenelle's memorial service, sitting closely together as a family as Hera kept wiping the tears from her face with the borrowed handkerchief. It was apparent that her face was swollen even in the black and white image.

"It seems we're wanted by the aurors for kidnapping our daughter from her loving family."

Chaos erupted.

* * *

Thanks for reading/reviewing!


	10. Under Arrest

Disclaimer found on chapter 1

**Chapter Notes:** A quick word of thanks to whomever runs the Goblin Name Generator at Seventh Sanctum. Even though I believe it's meant more for the ones found in World of Warcraft, I've found it to be fairly good for Harry Potter goblins as well.

**Also:** There appears to be a glitch in ffnet in regards to updating quickly. I've noticed that sometimes when I send in a fast update the time doesn't register, and therefore the new chapter is easy to miss. If this matters to you, I would recommend clicking the button to follow my story so you will be notified by email when I do update.

**Chapter 10 – Under Arrest**

Remus and Sirius both had different reactions to learning about the little girl once known as Hera Jasmine Potter. As the couple explained how Lily'd had a prophetic dream, (a gift she claims to have always had but kept secret), showing her sweet baby girl to be the prophecy child, they tearfully decided to hide her away in order to keep her safe. They claimed to have begged a nice, upstanding muggle family Lily had known from childhood to take the newborn and raise her until it was safe for her to return.

Apparently they were then afraid to make contact with the Fergusons, (the so-called foster family), in the event that the Potters would inadvertently lead death eaters to the location where Hera was being kept. It was, therefore, a great surprise to them when they saw their precious baby girl, for the first time since she was a newborn, in the presence of a large coven of vampires. Fearing for Hera's life, the couple then claim to have rushed immediately after the service to the Fergusons' home, only to find that the entire family had been tragically murdered in what the muggle police officers claim to be some kind of vicious animal attack.

Armed with this new information, the frantic Potters then went immediately to Sirius' and James' boss, Rufus Scrimgeour – Head of the Auror Department. Needless to say, with James' reputation and upstanding history, arrest records were put together immediately. Scrimgeour, himself, vowed not to rest until the "vicious beasts" were ripped apart and turned to ash for their heinous crimes.

Of course, their case wasn't hurt by the fact that Albus Dumbledore backed them up completely, claiming to know about the baby's placement at the "loving family's" home. He then went on to say it had been his idea to keep the knowledge of the child a secret from even their closest friends. He meant no disrespect, but went on to claim that the Potters once trusted their old friend Peter Pettigrew and was later betrayed by him when they accidently discovered the dark mark branded on the rat animagus' arm.

That reminder still hurt the remaining marauders.

Sirius Black, once he heard this tale of tragedy and woe, rallied behind his friends immediately… determined to pledge his life in the quest to save his goddaughter from her captors. And Remus? Remus J. Lupin looked his friends in the eyes and promised to do everything within his power to see that the truth became known. The werewolf fully intended honor that promise.

He just wasn't completely certain that Dumbledore and the Potters were the ones he would be fighting to save.

* * *

Hera started crying when her daddy said they were to be arrested. The living room became very loud as her family all began shouting at the same time. She immediately covered her ears and buried her face in her mama's silk blouse. Esme promptly picked her child up and told everyone to be quiet. Though she hadn't shouted, the rest could quickly see that their reactions were scaring the phoenix and they calmed themselves. No sooner did silence descend than there was a loud knocking at the door.

The seven-year-old whimpered, fearing it to be aurors on the other side, ready to take her family away to be murdered. Edward pulled her into his own arms as Carlisle went to answer the door, gently reassuring her that no human could ever make it this far without the goblins' permission. She began to calm, realizing Edward was right. Still, she only fully relaxed when her daddy led Foulclaw inside the house.

The goblin looked very angry and Hera then began to worry that they had caused so much trouble for him and his people that they were about to be cast out into the wizarding world. Edward began rubbing her back, soothing her without words.

Foulclaw waived away the offer of refreshments and gestured for everyone to take a seat. Once Edward sat down, Hera turned to face who she hoped would be their savior from this mess.

"I have to say the audacity of James and Lily Potter knows no bounds," the goblin said in a disgusted manner.

Carlisle ran his fingers through his hair in a rare show of frustration. "What can we do, Foulclaw? This isn't a case of an unsanctioned attack against members of the goblin nation… the Potters have actually gone through legal channels to have us arrested for kidnapping Hera. It's absurd!"

Foulclaw sneered. "Oh it's not just kidnapping. They're also charging you with the murder of Hera's fictitious guardians."

"Fictitious," Jasper asked, using his gift to lessen his sister's sorrow and fear.

"Yes. They wouldn't dare bring the true monsters they left Hera with into this. Once the wizarding world finds out what Hera's infancy was really like, they will turn on the Potters faster than you can imagine."

"So let's find the monsters," Rosalie exclaimed.

Hera felt the icy cold sensation of shame flow through her. She never wanted anyone to find out about what had happened to her in that house of horrors. She didn't even want to know the things that occurred that she couldn't remember! Edward's arms tightened around her just as Jasper crouched down to look her in the eye. "Don't you dare, Hera. You've got nothing to be ashamed of, you hear me? The Dursleys are the monsters in this movie, darlin' and we're going to expose them for what they truly are in front of the entire magical world."

The phoenix leaned forward and hugged her blonde brother tightly, relishing the feel of his own arms around her as well as the gentle hands of her mate rubbing her back. She was terrified beyond belief that she would soon lose this. Every vampire in this room was worth more to her than her own life and to lose any one of them would be a great tragedy from which she would never recover.

"We just have to find them," Carlisle interjected. It hadn't taken much effort to track them down when they needed their signatures on Hera's adoption forms. Unfortunately, if Nicolas' curse remained strong, the Dursleys could be anywhere by now. The massive case of artificial bad luck may very well have rendered them homeless.

Foulclaw nodded thoughtfully. "We've got investigators out tracking them down. Don't worry," he added, "even if we don't locate them, they're not our only defense against the erroneous accusations. Just because the Ministry of Magic doesn't have a clue how to garner information in the non-magical world, it doesn't mean that everyone else is just as incompetent."

Carlisle nodded, seemingly bolstered by their friend's confidence. "Okay, so what happens now? What do you normally do when a goblin is charged with a wizarding crime?"

The goblin sighed. "I'm afraid we have no choice but to hand you over to be tried in their court."

"No!" Hera screamed. "They can't take my family, I won't let them," she sobbed. "I'll flash you all away to my school… Professor Fredrickson said it's a safe place for all magical creatures!" She fought Edward as he pulled her in closely. "I won't let it happen… I won't!"

The goblin looked pained as he approached the small girl, and began stroking her hair. "Calm down, child. Nothing will happen to them in the ministry, I swear it on my honor as a goblin. And believe me when I say that **nothing** is more important to a goblin than his honor."

Red eyes, swollen from tears, stared intently into Foulclaw's black orbs. "What about the wizards… they treat my family badly because they're vampires when they haven't done anything bad! What will they do when they think they have?"

Wiping the tears from Hera's face with his spindly fingers, the goblin smiled. "You forget, little one. They aren't going in as vampires, but goblins. Wizards are bound by the treaty between us to ensure that no goblin comes to harm in the hands of the ministry. They wouldn't dare to break the treaty… especially since goblins house the majority of their money."

Hera sniffled and accepted some tissues from her mother in order to blow her nose. "How long will they be away."

"As short a time as is possible." He returned to his seat now that the youngling was more calm. "I have goblins working around the clock in order to insure this matter is dealt with quickly."

Edward looked pained. "What about Hera? We're not handing her over to the wizards!"

"Of course we aren't. She will remain down here with a suitable caretaker, I assure you. The head dragon handler Dreadblade and his mate Tmora have already volunteered to house the young one until you have returned." Foulclaw turned his attention to the phoenix. "Dreadblade has become quite fond of you, Hera, as have the dragons, and Tmora is very nurturing. I think they will be able to keep you busy enough so that you don't dwell on matters. I'll also have an empty portrait placed in your room so that your aunt and uncle will be able to visit you, and so you can have them contact me should you desire it."

Hera nodded before hugging Edward as tightly as she could. "Stay safe?"

Edward closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his mate's hair. "I promise, but you have to promise the same Hera." He placed a finger under her chin, pulling until her green eyes met his topaz. "Promise me that you won't do anything crazy while we're gone… nothing dangerous and nothing stupid, okay?"

"I won't!"

"I mean it Hera… no attempts to break us out of jail! And you also have to promise to obey Dreadblade and Tmora. If you can promise me all of that, then I'll promise that we will **all** stay safe."

Hera met the gaze of each of her family members before solemnly nodding. "I promise, Edward."

* * *

Thanks for reading/reviewing!


	11. Absence and Strength

See chapter 1 for disclaimer

**Chapter Notes:** I'm assuming Alice and Rosalie share the last name of their husbands when not pretending to be humans.

**Chapter 11 – Absence and Strength**

Foulclaw gave the Cullens an hour to themselves before returning to escort them all to the lobby. There aurors would be waiting to take them into custody. Though Edward didn't want her to, Hera was determined to remain by their sides for as long as was possible. Dreadblade also went along in order to escort the phoenix back to the home he shared with his mate. Clutching tightly to the hands of Edward and her mother, the child cringed when she saw James and Lily Potter waiting off to the side near a beaming Albus Dumbledore.

If they thought this was going to be a joyful reunion with her, the mortals were greatly mistaken.

A contingent of armed goblin guards stood close to the aurors, closely watching the humans with disdain. As soon as the Cullens reached the wizards, one of them stepped forward holding a scroll. The man was tall and had a long scar starting from below his left eye and coming down to his chin. Hera didn't know anything about him, but she despised him with every fiber of her being simply because he was here to take her family away.

"Carlisle Cullen, Esme Cullen, Edward Mason, Emmett McCarty, Rosalie McCarty, Jasper Whitlock, and Alice Whitlock: You are all hereby placed under arrest for the murder of two muggles, Sandra and Leopold Ferguson, and the kidnapping of Hera Jasmine Potter. Minister of Magic Millicent Bagnold has issued a command that all of you are to be placed into a ministry holding cell, where you will remain until your hearing. On the day of said hearing, you will then face the Council of Magical Law and be judged for the aforementioned crimes." The auror stepped back as his cohorts came forward and began placing magical restraints on the vampires.

Tears started falling anew while the young girl watched as her beloved family were then led out of the building. Every one of them made eye contact with her before they left and silently offered her the love and strength she needed. She felt Jasper send her feelings of hope and peace before she was left alone with the goblins, the Potters, and Dumbledore.

"Oh, Hera… my sweet baby. We've missed you so much!" Lily Potter ran toward her daughter with James and Dumbledore closely following. The humans didn't seem to notice as the goblin guards each placed a hand on their swords, ready to slaughter all three of them should they attempt to take the child. Dreadblade quickly grabbed Hera's hand and glared at them stonily. The goblin wrangled dragons for a living… these three were nothing to him.

Foulclaw immediately placed a hand up, halting the humans in their tracks before they came too close. "The transfer of the accused is complete. Unless you have business with Gringotts, I must ask you to leave this bank."

Lily blinked in confusion. "What do you mean? We're here to take our daughter home!"

Foulclaw scowled at the woman. "Just because our citizens are accused of a crime, it does not make them guilty of one. There has been no judgment yet reached to back up your claim that Ms. Cullen has been kidnapped. Until the Cullens have been found guilty in a fair trial, this child will remain with us."

James Potter's face began to turn red in his anger. "She's our daughter! You have no right to keep her here. We just got her out of the hands of dark creatures and now you expect us to leave her with goblins?!"

Hera, feeling an uncontrollable fury, immediately flashed over to James Potter and kicked him in the shin as hard as she could before flashing back to Dreadblade. Every goblin in view of the attack began laughing and cheering as the wizard grabbed his leg and began jumping around in pain. Dreadblade gently took Hera's hand and began leading her toward the carts.

Foulclaw, with a fearsome grin on his face, addressed the humans. "It is not wise to anger a goblin… especially one who befriends dragons." He turned and walked away, leaving the guards to watch his back. "Good day, gentlemen and lady, and I use those terms loosely."

* * *

Dreadblade and Tmora were very kind to Hera. They showed her to her room, which was obviously decorated with a little girl in mind. As was Hera's last goblin dwelling, this one had been carved out of stone. A large window faced the dragon paddock, allowing the phoenix to gaze at the huge metallic-grey beasts whenever she wished. Her bed was small and the coverings were white with large pink flowers. A modest toy box was situated underneath the window, filled with things to keep a little girl occupied. A child-size desk and wardrobe, already filled with Hera's clothing, completed the room's furnishings.

The most important feature of her room, in her opinion, was the portrait attached to the wall opposite her bed. Just as he had promised, Foulclaw had linked the moving portrait of Uncle Nick and Aunt Nelle to the blank one in her new room. The couple came to check on her often, consoling her in her grief. The first night without her family, Tmora could be found in the child's room most of the night, holding her as she cried and stroking her hair. Though Tmora didn't speak much English, she didn't really need words to communicate with the little girl.

The next morning Dreadblade let Hera sleep late since she hadn't gotten much rest the night before. Sometime in the early afternoon, he had Tmora get her up, fed, and dressed. As soon as the girl was ready he took her with him so she could help take care of the dragons. Noticing that Hera grew more despondent as the hours passed, the goblin finally pulled her away from the menial task he had assigned to her and urged the phoenix to sit beside him on a bench overlooking the nesting mother's enclosure.

They sat in silence for a while before the goblin faced his young charge. "Have I yet told you the story of how Skull Crusher got her name," Dreadblade asked the child beside him. His black beady eyes softened as Hera looked up at his question with a sad expression on her face.

"No sir."

Dreadblade scoffed. "How many times have I told you not to call me 'Sir'? I'm a goblin… not a human. If you don't desist, I'm going to feed you to the dragons!"

For the first time since her family were arrested, Hera smiled. The head dragon handler was forever threatening to feed her to the huge creatures for some infraction or another.

"Sorry… but I don't think I'd be big enough to fill them up."

Dreadblade laughed loudly. "That's true. They would lose more energy eating you than what you'd give them." He sobered. "Unlike the other dragons we care for, Skull Crusher wasn't born here. She was found in the wilds of the Ukraine, close to where the Romanian border lies. Dragon poachers had brought down her mother in front of her."

Hera's eyes widened in horror. "How old was she?"

"It's hard to say. She was young enough to still be dependent upon her mother, but she was old enough to not be completely helpless. We got her when she was around one hundred fifty years old, but she'd been living at the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary for a while before she came."

Kicking her feet back and forth, Hera nodded. "Was it the people from the sanctuary who saved her?"

The goblin scratched his chin. "Yes… and no." He chuckled at her look of annoyance before looking upon the dragon in question. "Once the poachers had taken down the mother, they went for the baby. As the human wizards closed in on her, she dodged their attack and launched one of her own. The human that delivered her to us said that the baby had been found amidst a group of fifteen wizards, all dead with their skulls crushed from the power of her jaws. The wizards from the Romanian reserve may have taken her in and cared for her, but she saved herself."

Hera looked on proudly at the sixty foot tall dragon.

Dreadblade continued. "The same wizards who had killed her mother, met their end in the jaws of the much smaller animal. We felt the name 'Skull Crusher' to be a much more honorable name than the humans tending the Romanian reserve gave her."

"What name did they call her?"

The goblin wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Little Bit. Who would ever wish to name a dragon 'Little Bit'? It's an insult to the entire species!"

Hera giggled at the antics of her friend.

"Do you know why I told you that story, Hera?" The raven-haired girl shook her head. "It's because you remind me so much of Skull Crusher. On what was likely the most difficult day of her young life, she stood strong. She didn't give up. Skull Crusher refused to bend to the will of her adversaries, and she took her revenge with pride."

The phoenix leaned in to hug Dreadblade. The gruff-looking goblin immediately returned the hug.

"You, Hera, will have both your revenge and your family back. Of that, I have no doubt. You just need to stay strong and ready yourself for that day when it comes."

* * *

Edward stared at the blank white wall opposite their cell. He, Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper were all sharing a room not much bigger than the size of his closet at home. The girls were placed somewhere in another part of the building. They couldn't hear them, even with vampire hearing, but thanks to his gift he was able to assure his father and brothers that their mates were fine.

He wished someone was there to keep him updated on Hera's welfare.

This was the first time he'd been apart from his mate since he'd first met her at the Flamel's island, and his vampire was itching to tear down the walls and get back to her. Oh he'd no doubt that there were wards on the cells prohibiting them from using their super strength, but his vampire was still urging him to try.

Sighing with a mixture of boredom and misery, Edward slid down the wall to take a seat next to Carlisle on the floor. The older vampire placed an arm around him in support. At least his family understood what he was going through. Though he'd fight tooth and nail to keep Hera away from this building, he'd also give almost anything to see her alive and well.

Edward had no idea how long it was going to take to go to trial, but it felt like a lifetime had passed already.

* * *

Remus sat at his dining room table. It was late at night, but he found sleep to be next to impossible. Before him was a pad of paper where he'd taken notes on things he'd found odd with James and Lily's story. He looked down once more at the list he'd constructed which read:

1. On the day of the twin's birth, they were ecstatic – no hint of sadness of having to hide Hera… ever.

2. Lily never mentioned having prophetic dreams

3. Why would they have to hide the baby before death eaters could possibly know about prophecy?

4. When Charlus was believed to be prophecy child by the public, why didn't they hide him? (They went out into public more often with Charlus after prophecy was known.)

5. Why did James balk when discovering Hera was a phoenix ('light creature' comment at memorial service)

6. Flamels obviously knew Hera and the vampires and were well known for being good and just people.

Remus put his head down. He knew he was playing with fire, and was set to lose more than one close friend over this, but damn it! He refused to watch an obviously loving family be destroyed because of… whatever reason James and Lily had. When they were in school he'd always just stood aside while James, Sirius, and Peter bullied Slytherins… especially Severus Snape.

He'd known it was wrong at the time… knew intimately how it felt to be the target of a bully, even. But he'd still turned his head and pretended it wasn't happening. Remus had been disgusted by his own cowardice at the time. He was no alpha wolf, (and never would be), but he would be damned if he went back to sticking his head in the sand. The werewolf sighed and went to bed, dragging his notepad with him.

He had a group of imprisoned vampires to visit tomorrow.

* * *

Thanks again for reading/reviewing!


	12. Determination

See chapter 1 for disclaimer

**Chapter Notes: ** Harry Potter wiki said Alice had white hair which may have been caused by over exposure to the cruciatus curse. Well… she doesn't any longer. Die hard Harry Potter canonites can assume she was given a potion. What am I saying? They wouldn't be caught dead reading **my** stories! Carry on.

**Chapter 12 – Determination**

Remus Lupin wasn't surprised when three of the four male vampires in the small holding cell began growling at him. He **was** surprised when the older-looking blond didn't, however. Turning to the auror who'd escorted him down to the containment area, he asked for ten minutes of privacy with the prisoners. After the werewolf consented to a thorough scan with the wizards wand to ensure he wasn't carrying any contraband, he was allowed inside. Only once the door was closed and he felt a privacy bubble go up did Remus speak.

"I don't think you're guilty." The growls immediately stopped at his words. Taking this as a positive sign, he continued. "Too many things don't make sense, and I saw how you interacted with Hera at the memorial service. Your love for her is very evident, and the color of your eyes tells me you have morals… you fight your inner demons when giving in would be much easier."

He looked them all in the eye. "I, too, know what it's like to fight the vicious nature of your creature." Remus began pacing the short distance from one wall to the facing one. "Look, I know our races are feuding… I don't know why and I don't care. Right now it doesn't really matter because out there is a little girl with green wings who's missing her family. Tell me your side of the story and I promise to do everything in my power to ensure the truth comes out."

The vampires shared looks before the tawny-haired one pushed off of the wall and approached the werewolf. "Lily and James Potter are two of your best friends. If you help us, you will be turning your back on them and may even be called to testify on our behalf in front of them. Are you sure you have what it takes to follow through?"

Remus sighed in remembered pain of his past acts of cowardice. "I didn't used do… but I do now."

The vampire turned and nodded to his family. After introducing themselves to their visitor, they began sharing their story.

* * *

While her allies worked so hard to help her family, Hera took Dreadblade's words to heart. Two days after they had been scheduled to return to Alaska, she had asked her guardians if she could start back to her magical school. She was determined to learn as much magic as she could in order to best help her family. Dreadblade and Foulclaw had met to discuss whether or not it was a wise decision to allow Hera out of their sight, but Ardaigh was notorious for being a safe haven for non-humans. After speaking with the headmaster of the institute, Vance Durham, Foulclaw decided to allow the phoenix to attend classes.

Because the child had been receiving her non-magical education through home-schooling ever since entering Ardaigh, Dreadblade consented to having goblin tutors meet with Hera to ensure she didn't fall behind in her studies. This also had the added bonus of keeping the phoenix's mind off of her worries. Foulclaw arranged a quick trip via international portkey for himself and Hera to her home in Alaska so she could pick up all of her school things, and anything else she wished to take.

As Hera grabbed her Elemental Magics text, which laid open on her desk, she caught sight of Josie. She'd had the porcelain doll with the long brown hair since the day she'd come to live with the Cullens. Hera could vaguely remember Jasper's nervous smile as he presented the gaily wrapped present to her and said, "Welcome home, little sister." For a girl who had received precious little in her life up to that point, that moment impacted her greatly. And though Josie had picked up a few nicks and scratches in the years since she was received, she would always remain perfect in the eyes of the phoenix.

She wrapped her arms around the much-loved doll and went to meet Foulclaw downstairs.

The goblin held open a bottomless bag so she could add the textbook to everything else Hera had collected to bring back to London. Before they left, Foulclaw pulled out two letters he'd had Carlisle write and placed them in the Cullens' outgoing mail. One was to be sent to the hospital where the good doctor was employed, while the other was addressed to the school where the "children" were enrolled. Both went into little detail, but insisted upon the need for a longer leave of absence due to unavoidable circumstances abroad.

The recipients of the letters were told the Cullens would be overseas while taking care of personal affairs and they could expect additional correspondence should their business not be concluded in a month's time. Carlisle had added a small addendum to the note to his hospital director stating he would fully understand if the hospital felt the need to let him go in order to hire someone to fill the vacant position.

Once they'd done everything they had set out to do, Foulclaw held the Gringotts portkey, a shiny-looking stick, out for Hera to grab hold. The phoenix, who hadn't enjoyed her first trip via portkey, opted to flash back to the bank instead. Flashing was much less disconcerting than spinning off into the unknown.

As soon as Hera disappeared in a flash of flames, Foulclaw took hold of the bag, spoke the trigger word, and followed.

* * *

Two weeks after the vampires had been arrested, and a trial still nowhere in sight, three goblins entered the Ministry of Magic with the intentions of speaking with the accused. Foulclaw, as the goblin in charge of proving the Cullens' innocence, accompanied Gringotts' Head Law Goblin Pitgouge and his assistant Dragonheart as they made their way down to the heavily-warded holding cells.

Being representatives for the defendants, they demanded and received a private room to hold council with their clients. As soon as they entered the large room with chairs and a table, Foulclaw discretely checked for the presence of the requested privacy charms and nodded to the two goblins beside him. No sooner did he give the okay than Dragonheart pulled off the charmed bracelet she'd been wearing and launched herself into the arms of the closest vampire, who happened to be Alice.

"Hera?!" All of the Cullens surrounded the phoenix, almost fighting each other in the attempts to hug and kiss her. Thankfully Edward was last to latch on to her because one look into his face said he wouldn't be letting go of his mate until he absolutely had to.

Once everyone had settled into their seats, Pitgouge opened his briefcase and shuffled through some paperwork found within. "The bad news is that the wizards have still refused to set a trial date. If they drag this on much longer we will begin using force to make ourselves heard." He began grumbling in gobbledygook about the stupidity of some wizards.

Hera, who had been learning the goblin language, thanks to both her goblin tutors and temporary guardians, giggled when Pitgouge likened ministry workers to baying donkeys. Edward tightened his arms and stuck his nose into her long hair to get even closer to her unique scent.

"Please tell me there's good news," Alice asked. Though all the vampires looked odd in the nondescript grey robes that all prisoners were forced to wear, none of them looked stranger than Alice and Rosalie, who were always so obsessive when it came to fashion.

Pitgouge raised an eye at the short vampire. "Of course there's good news. If there wasn't I would have lost my head before coming here. The longer we have before the trial, the more time we have to accumulate not only proof of your innocence, but also evidence against the Potters and Dumbledore for when we drag their sorry backsides into court." He shook his head. "You would think that wizards would have learned by now to not make enemies of the goblin nation, but it seems they are wholly incapable of the feat."

The meeting with the law goblin was quickly wrapped up and the true reason for the scheduled meeting, Hera's visit, could begin.

* * *

Tugging at one of the tiny braids covering her sister's head, Rosalie asked, "So who's been taking care of that rat's nest on your head, Hera? I was worried that I'd have to shave it all off when I finally got out of this dump."

Hera giggled and stuck her tongue out at the beautiful blonde. "You're not shaving my head, Rose! I'd flash away before you got close. Tmora braids it for me, and she doesn't complain about it nearly as much as you do."

Rosalie rolled her eyes as the vampires laughed at her.

Emmett reached to pick her up but stopped when Edward growled at him. "Stingy! You're not the only one who missed her, dude."

Carlisle's eyes sparkled at seeing his youngest child looking so well. "Have you been keeping busy, sweetheart?"

Hera nodded. "Very busy. I've been going back to classes at Ardaigh and my professors have been helping me catch up from everything I missed the week I was away. Foulclaw has me working with tutors for my non-magical stuff, and I'm learning to fight with swords!"

Edward looked as if he were about to have a heart attack, no matter how impossible that would be. He stuttered. "S…swords?"

Emmett's eyes lit up in excitement. "Sweet… are you using the training platforms? Man… what I wouldn't give to have another crack at that!"

"Swords?"

Edward still looked a little sick, so Foulclaw decided to put him out of his misery. "Practice swords, Edward. Right now she's learning the basic stances and movements. I assure you that your mate is completely safe. In the unlikely event she should slip with the blade, it would be quite impossible for her to become injured."

When she was certain that Edward wouldn't insist she give up her weapon training classes, Hera relaxed and continued her update. "Dreadblade has me helping him with the dragons still, and Skull Crusher's babies should hatch any day now!"

Chuckling wryly, Jasper looked at Foulclaw. "Just so you know, should she ask to keep one of the hatchlings as a pet, the answer is no!"

Hera rolled her eyes at her brother. "I wasn't going to ask… though a dragon would be a good way to keep out bad guys!"

"And vampires aren't?" Jasper tickled his sister happily.

Esme watched the scene with a fond smile. "It sounds like you've taken on so much, baby. How are you coping with it all?"

"I'm doing good, mama. My grades are still good at school and my tutors never give me too much work to finish. Helping Dreadblade is fun, but he and Tmora only let me go to the paddock when my homework is done." She tried to come up with anything she may have forgotten. Gasping with excitement, Hera exclaimed, "Oh yeah! Watch!"

Jumping off her mate's lap, much to his dismay, Hera concentrated and soon her emerald wings disappeared from view. As everyone expressed their delight at her accomplishment, the phoenix beamed. "I was just practicing it a few days ago when I did it for the first time! I also learned how to change their color in my charms class!"

She closed her eyes and soon her wings were a bright purple. "The only thing is, no matter what color I turn them to, my eyes change too." Hera opened her eyes and sure enough, they were the exact same shade as her wings. "Professor Breeze thinks it's because I'm a phoenix, so he didn't dock points on the assignment. He said he didn't teach charms when the last phoenixes were at Ardaigh."

"That's amazing, sweetheart," Carlisle exclaimed in a proud manner.

The family continued with the laughter and gentle teasing until it was time for the goblins to return to the bank. After Hera gave a final hug and kiss to everyone, she unhappily put on the charmed bracelet and appeared once more as a young goblin male, complete with the obligatory scowl. Before they opened the door to leave, Edward quickly relayed the meeting they'd had with the werewolf, Remus Lupin. Pitgouge was very happy to hear that someone close to the Potters was willing to fight against them.

"This will make it all the sweeter when we win," the law goblin stated. "If the wizards still haven't scheduled a trial by the end of this week, we will begin to use pressure tactics to force their hand." Opening the door for Hera and Foulclaw, Pitgouge smirked. "We'll see how long they last when our banking fees begin to steadily increase. Of course I suppose they could always take their business to another wizarding bank."

The roaring of goblin laughter echoed loudly through the halls.

* * *

Lily Potter, upon hearing that her best friend Alice Longbottom was recovering, was ecstatic. Though she'd been depressed when she hadn't been allowed to bring her daughter home, the wonderful news about Frank and Alice made her immediately leave the house to visit them. She'd purchased a huge arrangement of flowers and made the trip to Gringotts alone.

Making her way through the hospital, Lily humbly accepted the multitude of well wishes for her family in regards to their daughter's kidnapping, first by vampires and then by goblins. She played the part of distraught mother perfectly, and by the time she'd made it to the room of her only friend outside of Sirius and Remus, Lily had even managed to produce a tear for her adoring public.

"Alice!" Lily was incredibly happy to see Alice fully awake and sitting up in bed. The only thing which dampened her joy was the fact that her friend glared hatefully at her, as well as Frank.

Stopping just short of hugging her, Lily frowned. "What's wrong? Why are you scowling at me Alice?"

Alice brushed a strand of her dark hair out of her face. "Lily, I think you should leave. Augusta told us about the deplorable way you and James have been behaving in regards to the vampires who obviously love the little girl that healed me and Frank."

Lily glared at the other woman. "Did she not also tell you how they kidnapped our daughter and murdered two muggles?"

Rolling her eyes, the woman on the bed scoffed. "Oh please! You mean those lies you two, well… **three** if we count Dumbledore, are spreading? You forget, Lily… I've known you since we were eleven, and I'm supposed to believe you've been having prophetic dreams your entire life?! By merlin, the moment you learned how to wiggle your ears you didn't shut up about it for a week! No… you can carry your ass out that door and take the damned flowers with you!"

Frank added for good measure, "Alice is right. The Longbottoms are firmly allied with the Cullens now, Lily. You can consider our ties with the Potters cut. Now leave before I call someone in here to toss you out!"

Strangely enough, Lily didn't have to work nearly as hard to summon tears on her way **out** of St. Mungo's.

* * *

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	13. The Trial Begins

Disclaimer found on chapter 1

**Chapter Notes:** A portion of this was written by **Fuyutaro son**. I'll detail the exact part that isn't my work at the end of the chapter. I don't want to spoil the surprise by listing it here. Thanks also goes to **little-bast** for reminding me about the power of the press!

**Also:** There is a Harry Potter fanfic that I've read where the author surmises that female goblins are never seen in public because if a wizard were to insult one, the male goblins would be duty-bound, (because of their culture), to kill whomever committed the offense. I wish to adopt that theory, and I wish I could remember the author's name so that I could give them proper recognition for the idea.

**Chapter 13 – The Trial Begins**

Foulclaw sat in his office trying to get some work done while ignoring the prattling of his old friend Nicolas, who was proving to be just as talkative in death as he was in life. If Hera hadn't left for her classes at Ardaigh already, he'd suggest the portrait go pay her a visit. The goblin rolled his eyes as the alchemist launched into yet another tale without pause. If there hadn't been over one hundred years of friendship between them, Foulclaw would seriously consider silencing the portrait.

"… of course Nelle thought I was crazy for taking Prince Kikobar up on his offer of going scuba diving, but I've always believed in living life to the fullest, even after I began taking the elixir of life. Of course I was suitably impressed with everything I got to witness along that reef, though I never found out why he insisted upon using those non-magical contraptions to breathe underwater when a simple bubble-head charm would have been much easier. And gillyweed! On the other hand, I'm not sure if gillyweed was in great supply at the time… if I remember correctly, that was the year of the drought which dried up…."

The goblin's head hit his desk in frustration. Thankfully a moment later someone knocked upon his door, causing the painted likeness of his friend to finally be silent for the first time all morning. "Come in," Foulclaw said a little too eagerly, causing Perenelle to snicker knowingly.

Head Law Goblin Pitgouge entered the office. Not needing to be invited, the short-bearded creature immediately took a seat and got down to business. Goblins greatly respected those who did not waste time with trivialities.

"I've just received word from the werewolf, Lupin. He hasn't yet located the Dursleys… so far every possible lead we've discovered has proven false, but he **was** able to gain information on the supposed house where the humans lived with Hera. As we've known all along, there never was anyone named Sandra or Leopold Ferguson listed at that address."

"How far did he go back?" Foulclaw's long fingers grabbed the reports Lupin had provided to the law goblin.

"All the way back to the house's construction. I thought it unnecessary, but the werewolf wished to disprove any argument the wizards would make about ancestors leaving it to family members, or what not." Rifling through the briefcase once more, Pitgouge pulled out another set of documents and handed them to his supervisor.

"What is this?"

"Cemetery records… for not only London, but the surrounding areas as well. As you can see, I've highlighted every Ferguson listed. And, while there were a few residents listed under those names, none of the dates of death come close to matching the Potters' story. The last piece of information Lupin has been able to retrieve is this," he handed over the proverbial nail in the Potters' coffin.

"Are these the non-magical humans' police reports?" Foulclaw grew more excited with each new piece of evidence.

"Yes… obtained from not only the exact date of the death of the fictitious Fergusons, but for three weeks both before and after. Should the Potters make a claim in court that they had jotted down the wrong date when meeting with the police officers, we can catch them in a lie."

Foulclaw leaned back in his chair and was soon lost in thought. The law goblin frowned at the unusual behavior. "What's wrong?"

"While you and Mr. Lupin have been busy collecting all of this, I too have been relentlessly attempting to gain enough evidence to send Dumbledore and the Potters to prison for their crimes. I'd hate for Hera and her family to have to continuously look over their shoulders, fearing another attempt at tearing their family apart." He stood up and began pacing before the other goblin. "The family deserves to have their revenge, but so far the most we can hope for is for the Potters and Dumbledore to receive a month or two in Azkaban for false accusations and obstruction of justice."

Pitgouge stroked his wispy, white beard. "Surely the dishonor alone will cost the Potters and Dumbledore their jobs?"

Foulclaw scoffed. "Not likely. Dumbledore has a lot of backing, both within the ministry and without. Any damage to James' reputation would also tarnish his own since he's been a willing participant of this charade. I would, therefore, be willing to bet a great deal that any charges we bring to those dishonorable wizards will be promptly swept under the rug. Both families have enough gold to make just about anything disappear."

"That is true. It's astonishing how much the humans value money over honor. Do you have any suggestions," he asked as Foulclaw retook his seat.

"Actually, I do. I think it's time we utilize the power of the press. I shall pen a letter to Rita Skeeter and offer her a deal that she won't be able to resist."

Pitgouge laughed heartily. "Of all the journalists employed by the Prophet, she certainly is the most blood-thirsty! Excellent idea!"

The meeting was soon concluded.

* * *

Hera was terrified. Almost exactly a week after her visit with her family came the trial that could potentially destroy her loved ones. If that were to happen, she didn't know how she herself would survive. She clutched tightly to the hand of her temporary guardian Dreadblade as he lead her into the large chamber labeled "Courtroom Ten." She wished Tmora could have also come, but the dragon handler explained that goblin females were kept away from humans because if someone were to insult one, their death would be assured.

Dreadblade went on to say that this was necessary because, otherwise, the goblins would have broken their treaty with wizards almost as soon as it had begun. When Hera asked why this did not apply to her too since she was also considered a female goblin by their laws, her guardian had responded, "Once a female has been declared as a mate, upholding her honor then falls to her partner." He laughed, adding, "I don't think anyone would be stupid enough to insult you within hearing range of either your mate or the dragons!"

Though Hera felt sorry for all the goblin females who didn't have the same rights as the others, she knew from school that many cultures had different ideas in regards to socially accepted behavior.

Her train of thought derailed completely when she saw her family sitting at the front of the room, wearing some kind of magical bracelets. Hera, with her abilities, was able to make out the restraints' magic, pulsing red and filling her with worry. She didn't know what they did, but red magic was rarely good.

As soon as she looked up, her eyes caught Edward's and he smiled. Hera's wings fluttered in excitement at seeing the smile, but she could also see his attempts to hide the worry he felt from her. Knowing she wasn't allowed to speak directly to any of them until their names were cleared, Hera thought, "It's going to be okay, Edward. Pitgouge said our victory is assured, and even if it weren't, I'd flash you away to Ardaigh."

Edward smirked at her and winked before turning his focus on Pitgouge, who was seated in the middle of his clients, and began speaking quietly with him.

Dreadblade was able to secure them a seat in the second row behind the Cullens. Even knowing the Potters didn't have a leg to stand on, Hera still felt sick to her stomach, especially when she saw the smug look of Albus Dumbledore as he chatted with the prosecuting attorney. James and Lily were playing the part of "worried parents" perfectly. The redhead kept stealing glances at her daughter, occasionally bringing a handkerchief up to wipe away the, no doubt, imaginary tears. James couldn't have looked more concerned if an orphanage was burning down in front of him with a bunch of kids trapped inside. He, too, kept a close watch on Hera as he held his wife in his arms, and she ached to flash over and kick him again.

Hera had been in such a state of worry that she barely noticed the many whispers as wizards excitedly pointed and stared at their "savior." Though Edward was supposed to tell her about the prophecy, Aunt Nelle and Uncle Nick had been the ones to explain, wanting her to be prepared when the wizards started going crazy at the mere sight of her. She thought it was stupid, and she certainly wasn't in a mind to save anyone who would see her family dead!

When she felt someone sit down on the other side of her, she snapped her head to the right and relaxed when she saw a concerned Neville silently asking if she was okay. Tummy too full of butterflies to even think about talking, she nodded and smiled at both him and his grandmother, who soon joined them on the bench. Augusta must have understood her dilemma, for she gave a stiff nod of her head before facing the front.

The sound of a gong soon filled the room, causing a hush to fall over the crowd. A wizard wearing official-looking burgundy robes with black trim rose to address the crowd. "Esteemed members of the council, and honored guests, please stand as Judge Francis L. Whitestone takes his place!"

Everyone rose, only to sit back down when an elderly wizard with large white bushy eyebrows and equally busy beard took his seat. Hera was still too nervous to get a feel on whether or not the judge was trustworthy. She focused on slowing her breathing and watching the events.

The judge eyed the people in his courtroom, silently daring anyone to step out of line. After reviewing the parchment handed to him by someone on the judging panel, he spoke in a booming voice. "I call all to order! The following proceedings are to settle the case of James and Lily Potter versus Carlisle and Esme Cullen, Jasper and Alice Whitlock, Emmett and Rosalie McCarty, and Edward Mason. Let the records show that the defendants have been accused of the following: A vicious attack resulting in the death of two muggles and the kidnapping of Hera Jasmine Potter. Law Goblin Pitgouge, how do the defendants plead?"

Pitgouge stood. "Not guilty, Judge Whitestone."

"Then let the trial begin. Prosecutor, make your case."

Hera barely paid attention as the lawyer, which she'd silently named "Fat Head," spouted all the stupid lies about them. She hated that the jury members began to look sympathetic to the plight of the stupid Potters. Some of them were even wiping tears away, doubling the worry she felt. By the time James was called to take the stand, Hera actually felt like she was going to throw up.

Appearing as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders, he described the gruesome scene witnessed by the muggle police officers, detailing what had befallen their "very dear friends, the Fergusons."

"And what did the muggle police surmise about the cause of death," Fat Head asked.

"They concluded that Sandra and Leopold died of blood loss from some kind of animal attack, even though very little blood was actually found inside the home from where our baby girl was taken," James Potter's voice cracked on the last word. Sobbing could now be heard from both the jurors and the spectators.

Neville sweetly grabbed her hand when her wings drooped in despair.

Lily Potter was then called to take the stand and Hera felt like screaming at the injustice of so many people believing these lies! Some of them were openly glaring at her family as if they wanted nothing more than to just skip the trial and see them burn.

The redhead basically said the same things her husband had, only adding, "Those **monsters** deserve death for killing the loving family we left Hera with!"

The entire courtroom gasped when a blonde woman with an overly large neck marched determinedly into the chamber beside Remus Lupin and scoffed. "Killed me? Oh yes, it killed me all right, Lily Potter, when you left your **freak** of a daughter with me!" The Potters and Dumbledore all turned the color of chalk. "Do you know how hard it was to hide her abnormality from the neighbors?!"

* * *

Okay… the moment Lily Potter said, "Those monsters deserve death…" until the end of the chapter belongs strictly to **Fuyutaro son**. As soon as I saw the idea I shamelessly copied it and had to put it in here, so kudos for a great entrance ;)

Thanks to all for reading/reviewing!


	14. The Verdict

**Disclaimer:** See chapter 1

**Chapter Notes:** So many death threats in my inbox for the cliffy have forced me to put out another chapter posthaste. I warn you that courtroom scenes are not my favorite things to write but I tried to make it as interesting as possible.

**Chapter 14 – The Verdict**

Petunia Dursley was irate. Ever since her sister had seen fit to saddle her perfect family with that stupid little freak, her life had gone down the toilet! Not only was she forced to stare into Lily's abnormally green eyes every day, but the moment she, Vernon, and her sweet little Dudders were finally rid of the monster heralded the beginning of the end of her family. First Dudley was picked up by officials, who had received some kind of outrageous information accusing herself and Vernon to be unfit parents!

Knowing the freak who'd taken Lily's sprog had to have been responsible for the loss of their child, they'd held little hope of seeing their baby boy again. It never stopped them from trying, however! After that, Vernon had taken to the bottle and soon lost his job, costing them their perfect little house on Privet Drive. Thankfully he'd quickly gained another, and swore to her that he'd stay sober.

They had quickly moved into a less expensive neighborhood, patiently saving everything they could in order to hire a lawyer to get Dudley back. But no matter how much money they would put aside it was always needed elsewhere. Car repairs, plumbing issues, fires, floods… it was as if the ancient plagues of Egypt were raining down upon them!

It wasn't long after their second move that the vampires came! She had never even known the creatures truly existed until the moment she saw six of them on her front stoop! She probably wouldn't have even known what they were **then** if the bronze-haired one hadn't been growling at them the entire time with his fangs bared!

Thankfully they hadn't stayed long. They had needed their signatures on some documents in order to adopt the girl. That had caused her a moment of amusement, hoping the little freak was eaten by the blood-suckers. With that thought in mind, they had happily signed the little brat away to the monsters and washed their hands of the mess completely.

Three moves later, for various disparaging reasons, Vernon had the audacity to leave her! She was having to work two jobs in order to pay rent on the grungiest little flat she'd ever laid eyes on, and even **then** barely had anything left over to buy the necessities! Petunia's dreams of the perfect life were well and truly shattered, and for that she fully blamed Lily Potter. So much so that when that man… Lupin had shown up at her flat and told her he needed her to testify against her sister, she'd immediately grabbed her purse and followed.

She was fully willing to tell the truth about the child's placement and subsequent treatment in the hands of herself and Vernon if it meant getting revenge on her sister. She was fully aware that she might have to expose some of the horrors she and Vernon had inflicted on the baby, but Petunia was willing to risk it in order to make Lily pay. Not only would her testimony expose her sister for the freak she'd always accused her of being, but maybe the wizards would finally put her out of her misery. As far as Petunia Dursley was concerned, her life had ended when Dudley was carried out the door amidst hers and Vernon's screams and tears.

* * *

As soon as the level of noise rose, following Petunia Dursley's proclamation, Judge Whitestone shot sparks from his wand. "Order! You will all be silent, or I shall have you removed from this courtroom!" Once everyone had ceased making noise of any kind, the judge glared at the cause of the disturbance. "What is the meaning of this intrusion, madam?!"

"I beg your pardon, your honor," interrupted Pitgouge as he waved Mrs. Dursley and the werewolf towards the front, "but these are two of the defense witnesses, Petunia Dursley and Remus Lupin. I'm afraid they had previously been detained, but seem to have arrived in the nick of time."

Remus ignored the betrayed glares of James and Lily, instead ushering Petunia into the front-row bench before him. A quick look at Sirius showed that he was too busy processing Mrs. Dursley's words to pass any kind of judgment on him at the moment.

Judge Whitestone cast one final glare in the direction of the defense before choosing to carry on with the trial. "Very well… Mr. Peyton," he addressed the prosecuting attorney, "Is Mrs. Potter finished with her testimony?"

Looking nonplussed, the man Hera had been calling "Fat Head" in her mind nodded. He cleared his throat. "Yes, your honor."

"Very well, do you wish to cross-examine at this time, Mr. Pitgouge?"

Grinning fearsomely, the law goblin rose from his seat. "Yes I would, your honor." He had declined the opportunity to cross-examine James Potter, determining his more emotional wife to be a better target. It hadn't anything to do with her being female. His decision was mainly because her husband was a trained auror and, therefore, more likely to be able to lie plausibly in court.

"Mrs. Potter," Pitgouge began by placing a piece of paper on the stand before her. "This is a copy of the sworn statement you and your husband filed with the ministry that led to the charges against the defendants, is that correct?"

Glancing at the parchment before her, Lily nodded. "Yes, that's right."

"And on this document, which has been signed by both yourself and Lord Potter as being completely factual, you state that you viewed the actual muggle police reports taken from the day Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson were killed, correct."

"Yes, that's right."

Pitgouge threaded his fingers together. "Are you certain that this date is correct?"

Lily scoffed. "Well, I'm not likely to forget the day of one of my best friend's murder, no matter how long it took me to learn of it."

"That's very interesting, because I have here a certified copy of **all** of the muggle police reports filed on the date in question, yet there is no mention of any incidents of murder occurring **anywhere** in the city of London." He ignored Lily as she began to stammer out an excuse. "In fact, there's not only no mention of a London murder occurring on that day, but there hadn't been one for that entire **month**… perhaps longer. Do you have anything to say to that, Mrs. Potter?"

Looking beseechingly at her husband, Lily finally said, "I don't have an answer. Perhaps the muggle police officers made a mistake when they gave you the paperwork!"

Pitgouge nodded. "That's true… it is possible the police department simply **missed** one, right? Everyone makes mistakes, after all." He placed another report in front of the flustered woman. "Do you suppose the City of London also made an error when they failed to produce any evidence of a Sandra and Leopold Ferguson ever having died in this fair city?"

Face reddening incredibly, Lily began to sweat. "Um… it's possible."

Pitgouge stared intently at the witch before placing other reports before her. "I see. Then explain to me, Mrs. Potter, why no one in the **entire** city of London has any evidence that these supposed victims have ever attended school, worked, obtained a license to drive a muggle automobile, got married, or even obtained a birth certificate."

Without waiting for the now crying woman to answer, he continued. "Perhaps you can also let us know how the house, in which you swore before this court as being the place you **knowingly** left your newly born infant, has **never** been owned by the so-called victims? In fact, on the date that the supposed slaughter occurred, the house was occupied by a Gregory and Veronica Tuthill, along with their three children!" He slammed the final document down in front of her and waited for a response.

Lily Potter's tears were very real as she shrank under the weight of the stares upon her. Finally pulling herself together, she stammered out the answer to his questions. "I… I don't know why you didn't find anything."

Nodding knowingly, Pitgouge picked up the various reports he had shown the woman. "Neither do I. I'm finished, your honor."

Judge Whitestone took a moment to stare hard at Lily Potter before allowing her to rejoin her husband. "Mr. Peyton, do you wish to call anyone else to the stand?" The prosecuting attorney, who was in a heated whispered argument with James Potter, didn't hear the question. "Mr. Peyton!"

Jerking upright, the lawyer answered. "No, your honor."

"Very well… Mr. Pitgouge, would you care to call your first witness?"

"Yes, Judge. I wish to call Petunia Dursley to the stand."

* * *

Hera shrank down when she saw her aunt take the stand. Though she was feeling much better about the fate of her family after seeing Lily Potter hammered by Pitgouge, dread was filling her stomach again. She wasn't the only one affected, either. Hera could clearly see all seven of the vampires two rows in front of her stiffen. Knowing Edward, he was likely biting his tongue to keep from growling.

Pitgouge approached the witness stand. "Mrs. Dursley… did you and your husband Vernon, at any time, have custody of the biological daughter of your only sister, whose birth name was Hera Jasmine Potter?"

Petunia nodded. "We did."

"I see. Would you please explain the circumstances which led you to gain said custody of the child?"

The blonde nodded. "All I know is that my sister, Lily Potter, left her unwanted one-month-old infant on our front stoop like an empty milk bottle, complete with a letter stating the girl was a harpy, whatever that is, and that she and James couldn't live with the stigma of having birthed a dark creature."

The judge once again had to fire sparks from his wand as chaos erupted in the courtroom. "Order! Order, I say!"

Once everyone had calmed, Pitgouge again turned to Petunia. "Did this letter make any mention of the Potters' intentions to return for their child in the future?"

The woman scowled. "Of course not! She made it very clear that her husband was a pillar of light in the community and we were to do everything possible to ensure Hera Potter never had the desire to set foot in the magical world."

"How did Hera Jasmine Potter end up in the guardianship of someone other than yourself and your husband?"

Petunia was silent for a long moment, seemingly debating whether or not she wished to disclose the information. Finally she sighed and looked down. "When Hera was two… nearly three years old, my son Dudley pushed her down the stairs. A wizard showed up… calling himself Nicolas Flatell or something similar and took the child away for, I assume, medical care."

Pitgouge nodded. "Is that the last time you heard anything about the child before today?"

"No. Somewhere between six to eight months after the accident, a group of vampires showed up at our door, asking for mine and Vernon's signatures on adoption papers. We signed the papers and they left."

The law goblin smiled. "And did you sign willingly, or were you forced?"

Petunia scoffed. "Willingly. We never wanted the child… obviously Lily and her husband James never wanted the child. We weren't going to refuse the first people who was willing to take the girl!"

Hera looked down at the floor. She had never felt more like an unwanted piece of garbage than she did in that moment. She could feel Edward's worried gaze, but ignored it as the trial continued.

Pitgouge had one final question. "Very well, Mrs. Dursley. Could you please point out the vampires, if they are indeed in this courtroom, who showed up at your home to acquire yours and your husband's signatures on the adoption forms?"

The blonde woman immediately pointed out the vampires. "It was them. All were there except for the girl with short dark hair. I assume she stayed behind with the child."

"Thank you, Mrs. Dursley. No further questions, your honor!" Pitgouge retook his seat.

The elderly judge turned to the prosecution. "Mr. Peyton, do you wish to cross-examine the witness?"

Looking defeated, the attorney shook his head. "No, your honor."

"Mr. Pitgouge, do you have another witness?"

"No, your honor. The defense rests."

"Mr. Peyton?"

Ignoring his clients' beseeching gazes, the prosecutor shook his head. "Prosecution rests, your honor."

The judge sat up straight. "So be it. Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, you have heard the testimony of both sides. I will now ask you to deliberate under a privacy bubble. If you find that you cannot come to an easy agreement here in this courtroom, then we will have no choice but to adjourn until a such a time that a verdict **can** been reached."

Everyone was silent as an opaque bubble surrounded the panel of jurors. Hera felt as if she was holding her breath the entire time the wizards and witches were deliberating. Finally, after about five minutes, the bubble disappeared and the jury foreman nodded his head at Judge Whitestone.

"Have you successfully reached a verdict," the judge asked, seemingly unsurprised to see they had come to a decision so quickly.

The foreman nodded. "We have, your honor."

"Very well, please disclose your findings to the court."

Clearing his throat, the foreman spoke in a sure voice. "We the jury find the defendants, on the charge of the murder of two muggles, not guilty."

Hera laughed with relief, but quieted as soon as the wizard began speaking again.

"On the charge of kidnapping the child known from birth as Hera Jasmine Potter, we the jury find the defendants not guilty."

The judge was forced to silence the courtroom again, which had erupted in joyous sounds from the few members in the audience truly happy to see the vampires go free. Hera tried not to let it bother her that there was still so little support shown from the wizarding world, even in the face of their obvious innocence. She finally shook her head… all that mattered to her was seeing her family cleared of all charges.

* * *

"Let it be known that the judging panel hereby accepts the jury's verdicts, and the defendants are free to go."

"NO!" James Potter angrily stood, stunning the entire courtroom, including the judge. He furiously approached the bench. "You can't seriously be considering letting these… these dark creatures keep custody of **our** daughter!"

"Lord Potter, you will keep control of yourself or I will have you arrested!" The judge stood up to meet the auror's glare head on.

In a moment of what had to be temporary insanity, Potter then drew his wand and pointed it at Edward, who had moved forward to have his restraints taken off when James first exploded in rage. Because of the spells woven into the cuffs, which inhibited both vampire strength and speed, he was unable to dodge the curse spat at him by the biological father of his mate. Edward watched in horror as the vibrant red of the vampire killing curse headed straight for him.

Knowing his life was about to come to an end, Edward realized his only regret was not being able to spend eternity with his mate.

Just before the spell was to make contact, Edward felt the arms of Hera grab him around the middle before he was suddenly transported somewhere else. Slightly disoriented from the sudden influx of horrified screams, the vampire clutched Hera as much as he was able with the restraints still binding him and looked around. Everyone was staring at the bloody and fiery mess that used to be Lily Potter.

Edward immediately turned Hera away from the sight of her biological mother's remains as the wizards and witches in the courtroom screamed and cried. Apparently when the phoenix flashed him away from certain death, Potter's spell had hit his wife, who'd been standing behind the vampire.

James Potter, who had dropped his wand as Lily was torn apart and burned before his eyes, made no movements to stop the aurors from placing him under arrest for the murder of his wife.

* * *

How's that for a twist?

Thanks for reading/reviewing!


	15. Aftermath

See chapter 1 for disclaimer

**Important Note:** The ffnet glitch strikes again. I added a new chapter to this story last night, but the date/time does not reflect that. Make sure you haven't missed the last chapter before you read this or you're going to be completely lost.

**Chapter 15 - Aftermath**

Screams… as soon as she had flashed herself and Edward out of the path of the spell, Hera was aware of two things… screaming and blood. She felt her mate clutching the back of her shirt with his still-bound hands as she took in the carnage before her. At first glance she'd had no idea who, or even **what**, the mangled mass of red and fire was. It wasn't until Hera saw auburn hair amidst the gore that it clicked that these were the remains of her birth mother. She had just caught a glimpse of her biological brother, screaming frantically and covered in blood before Edward forcefully turned her away from the scene.

If her life was truly meant to last an eternity, Hera would still never be able to rid herself of the sight of Charlus Potter bathed in their mother's blood.

Suddenly feeling disconnected from everything, the phoenix blinked sluggishly. Colors began swirling before her as sight, sound, and smells began to merge. She vaguely realized that she was now laying down on the hard floor with a cool hand against her cheek. Edward's worried face was hovering above hers and she saw his lips speaking words that her ears weren't catching.

The tawny-haired vampire was suddenly replaced by her father. She listlessly turned her head to the right and her emerald eyes connected with a pair of slate grey orbs filled with sadness. There was something about those eyes… Hera knew she had seen them before. She moved her attention to the woman's face and felt an instant familiarity… she **knew** this woman, but how?

Suddenly a memory replayed itself in her mind….

_The lone woman gracefully rose from her seat and came around the table to stand before the small child. Never once losing her smile, she knelt down so as to be on a somewhat equal level with the tiny visitor. "Hello little one! What is your name?"_

_Feeling less shy since she didn't have someone towering over her, Hera removed her thumb and answered the pretty lady. "'M Hewa."_

"_Hera," she confirmed, beaming when the child nodded sagely. "That is a pretty name, for such a pretty girl." The woman opened her arms and seemed to light up with joy when Hera moved into them with only a brief hesitation. She stood back up with the child safely cradled in her arms. _

A slight stinging feeling on her face brought her back to the here and now. She blinked and looked up at her dad, who had lightly slapped her cheek in the attempt to pull her from her state of disassociation. "Hera, answer me."

"Daddy?" Her confused acknowledgement caused her family to relax instantly.

"Yes, sweetheart. No, don't try to get up." A strong, sure hand was on her shoulder holding her still. "You need to rest and get your bearings before you can even think of moving."

Idly realizing that her head was resting in Edward's lap, she suddenly remembered the woman that had captured her attention from before and began to search for her. Though most of her sight was blocked by her family, Hera had a feeling that the mysterious stranger had already gone.

"How ya feeling, munchkin," asked Emmett, who was crouched down on her left, along with Jasper and Rosalie. Sometime during the confusion, the vampires had all been freed from their restraints.

"I'm okay," she replied automatically, though her tongue felt like it was too big for her mouth and she was still feeling somewhat disconnected from reality. A gentle hand rested on her forehead and she knew without looking that it belonged to Edward.

She remembered the spell heading for her mate. She remembered acting without conscious thought, knowing only that Edward could not be allowed to die. She remembered the feeling of fear that her powers would betray her when she needed them the most. She remembered the relief she felt in knowing her mate was safe.

She remembered coming to the realization that it was **her** actions that had led to the death of the woman who had given birth to her.

Hera had no regrets about saving Edward, of course. She wasn't even certain she would be able to survive in a world without him. If given the opportunity to go back in time, she would have made the exact same choice. But that didn't stop her from feeling like a murderer. It was her who had inadvertently caused the death of Lily Potter, and part of her feared she would soon be arrested.

"Stop thinking like that, Hera," Edward's voice broke through her ruminations. "None of that was your fault. James Potter killed Lily… he wasn't aiming for her, but he's the one who fired a deadly curse in a room full of people." He pushed one of her tiny braids out of her face. "He could easily have hit anyone. No one in the world would fault you for saving our lives, Hera."

A few more minutes passed before Carlisle was willing to let Hera try to sit up. Though she felt a moment of dizziness, she easily shook it off and soon the family were on their way back to Gringotts with their goblin friends. She felt much better when the sunlight kissed her skin, but Hera knew it would be a while before her world righted itself again.

* * *

Sirius Orion Black was in a state of shock. If it weren't for his beloved godson Charlus sleeping in the next room, he'd currently be trying to lose himself in a bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky. The little boy had already woke up screaming twice already, and the auror was certain more bad dreams were coming. How could they not be? The seven-year-old was practically an orphan now.

The only reason Sirius was still awake was because he knew he'd be battling his own night terrors as soon as he fell asleep. Remus, who had volunteered to spend a few days at his friend's home in order to help get the child over this trauma, stood at one of the sitting room windows, staring blankly out into the darkness.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

The werewolf started, as if he had forgotten someone else was in the room with him. "About what?"

"About James and L… Lily the lies they told," Sirius responded as he met the gaze of his best friend.

Remus sighed and pulled himself away from the window. He, too, looked longingly toward the cabinet where the hard liquor was kept before shaking his head and joining Sirius on the couch. "Because at the time all I had were my suspicions, Siri. You would have blown a fuse if I had come to you without hard evidence, and you probably would have told James that I had betrayed all of you."

Sirius wanted argue and tell Remus he was wrong, but he couldn't. He knew he had the tendency to be unwaveringly loyal to his loved ones, and though it was one of his strengths, it could also have detrimental consequences. That level of steadfast dedication could blind you to a person's shortcomings. Never in a million years would Sirius have thought James was prejudiced against so-called dark creatures. What had Remus been to him… a charity case? An oddity? Was James following the old proverb that advised one to keep their enemies closer?

James and Lily had given up an adorable baby girl, who would have been his goddaughter had situations been different, because they thought she was a dark creature. Sirius wondered why James had ever bothered to befriend himself and Remus. Remus was dark, by ministry standards. And, though he wasn't a creature, Sirius' entire childhood had been steeped in dark magic. He had loved James like a brother and had ultimately been betrayed by him.

It was Peter all over again.

* * *

Jasper sat with his back against the headboard, watching his baby sister sleep. He had just returned from feeding and took Edward's spot so that he, too, could find some sustenance. Hera's dreams had been turbulent, according to his brother, so he remained close enough for the phoenix to be able to sense that she wasn't alone. Every time the little girl's emotions started to dip toward negative, Jasper would utilize his gift and send her waves of love and peace. He knew that he wouldn't be able to do this every night.

Hera would never be able to heal from the trauma if she wasn't allowed to work through her own emotions and come to terms with them. Her brother was determined to give her one night of absolute peace, however… at least on the first night when her emotions would be the most raw.

A soft whimper escaped Hera's lips as her brow creased in fear. Jasper lay a cool hand on her forehead as he once again swept away her negative emotions. Watching as contentment replaced the worry, the blonde smiled sadly. "It's going to be okay, darlin'. We'll get you through this."

Jasper sighed as he thought about the prophecy and what it would mean for his family. "We'll get you through everything."

* * *

Albus Dumbledore wearily rubbed his eyes before taking his place at the head table in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. He hadn't had a restful night's sleep ever since James had snapped during the Cullens' trial. He was doing his best to get Lord Potter released, but Minister Bagnold was being particularly stubborn on this issue.

The headmaster was too focused on his internal musings to notice that most of the children and teachers had grown silent upon his entrance and stared at him with a mixture of suspicion and anger. Blissfully unaware of his lessened popularity, he grabbed the Daily Prophet next to his plate and took a big gulp of pumpkin juice, only to spew it out after reading the headline.

_**Albus Dumbledore: New Dark Lord?**_

_By: Rita Skeeter_

_My dear readers, by now you all know the tragedy that has occurred in our very own Ministry of Magic the day before last. I cannot help but feel that in our rush to see justice served we are forgetting one crucial detail in regards to the farce of a trial on the day in question. While there is no doubt that Lord James Potter should be made to pay for his horrific crimes, what about Albus Dumbledore?_

_It is glaringly obvious, wizards and witches, that while James and his late wife Lily attempted to pull the wool over our eyes, Albus Dumbledore fully supported the attempt. This man, who is the __**Chief Warlock of our Wizengamot**__, claimed to have borne witness to events which we later learned had never taken place!_

_I know that the shocking events which have so recently transpired are still weighing heavily on all of our minds. However, I feel that it is in our best interests to ask ourselves these questions: Is it wise to have a man who is willing to aid in the execution of innocents head our Wizengamot? Represent us in the ICW? Teach our children?_

_This reporter cannot hope to ever know Albus Dumbledore's true motives leading to this scandal, dear readers. It is quite clear, however, that the aging headmaster does have an agenda in mind… one which must not be morally acceptable if such unscrupulous things must happen in order for it to be realized. _

_I leave you to ask yourselves one more question: Isn't this how He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named began?_

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Thanks for reading/reviewing :)


	16. Journey's End

See chapter 1 for disclaimer

**Chapter Notes:** A portion of this was written by **BePeachy**… I'll detail it at the end so as not to spoil it for you.

**Warning:** A bad word can be found in this chapter of the f-blank-blank-blank variety… ten points to the first one who finds it.

**Chapter 16 – Journey's End**

Hera stuffed her Runic Magics text down into her new bottomless sack and looked around one last time at their Gringotts home, making sure she wasn't leaving anything behind. The entire heart-rending trip that started with the death of her aunt and uncle, continued with her family's arrest, and ended with her biological mother's death, has finally come to an end. They had a scheduled flight back to Alaska due to leave in a little over four hours, and Hera was determined not to miss it.

They would happily have taken a portkey back were it not for their need to keep humans from getting suspicious about them. Since they had taken a very public flight to London, appearing back in the states with no record of their return would put them under unwanted scrutiny. Hera had asked if she could just flash back to their house and wait there for them to return. Edward might answer the question if he could ever stop laughing at her long enough to do so.

Something told her he was against the idea, though.

Out of everything that had happened to them on this trip, she could never regret meeting the goblins. They had proven to be invaluable to her family in so many ways, and she would always treasure the time she spent with them. Dreadblade and Tmora, in particular, were close to her heart and Hera had cried when she'd gone to say goodbye to them and Skull Crusher, along with the mama dragon's six adorable babies!

"You coming, Hera?" Rosalie had stuck her head into the now bare room. She was, no doubt, even more anxious to leave the magical world behind than Hera. Of course she'd had to suffer through imprisonment and constant prejudice since coming here.

The phoenix sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I think I got everything."

"Good… let's go before Emmett sneaks off to the training platforms again," Rosalie said while rolling her eyes. She placed an arm around her little sister's shoulders. "Just a warning, he's been talking about having you build something like that at home."

Hera's eyes widened in shock. "Is he crazy? I'm only seven! There's no way I could build one of those… the runes are way too hard! If I even **attempted** to duplicate the runes it'd probably do something like turn him green and give him a permanent tail."

The blonde laughed and shouldered Hera's bag. "I could live with that."

"Hey," Emmett shouted in indignation from beside the cart, causing everyone to chuckle at his expense.

When they arrived at the lobby Foulclaw was there waiting on them. Hera immediately wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. "Thank you for everything you did for us, Foulclaw."

The goblin chuckled fondly and returned the hug, patting the girl's back. "It was my pleasure, little one. We goblins may be ruthless to outsiders, but we do take care of our own." Once the hug ended he pulled a wrapped gift from inside his vest pocket and handed it to the child. "Do not open it until you get home, alright?"

Filled with curiosity, Hera nodded. "Okay, thank you!"

Foulclaw nodded. "Good. To enlarge it, you simply need to place your finger against the top left corner and push a little bit of your magic into it," he relayed to her before moving on to give his farewells to the vampires. "I trust you all will have a safe and uneventful trip home. If you have need of me for anything at all, please do not hesitate to contact me."

After a few more words, the Cullens were finally on their way to the airport just as most of Magical Britain were receiving their latest copy of The Daily Prophet. By the time their party had arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, the various patrons were again discussing the infamous Potter scandal which had happened days before. No sooner had they stepped foot in the pub than an old sour-looking wizard started giving his opinion of the entire affair.

"It was a waste, is all I'm sayin'! James Potter weren't tryin' ter kill his wife. He were tryin' ter kill a vampire! Ever'body fergits that part o' ther story!" The craggy old wizard banged his mug of ale against the scarred wood of his table. "That's wot youse needs to remember… he were arrested for tryin' to do the public a service! Kill all the vampires, I says!"

Edward, having read his mate's build-up of angry thoughts, reached out to grab Hera, but it was too late. In a flash of green fire, the child was standing upon the bar, to the shock of the large crowd of patrons.

"Kill all the vampires, you say," Hera asked with furious tears running down her face. "If that's the way you truly feel, then I say let Voldemort kill all of you!" She ignored the flinches and screams evoked from the mere mention of the dreaded name. "You heard the prophecy and expect me to save you when he comes back, but I really don't see a reason save anyone who thinks that my family is evil just because they happen to be vampires." She flashed back to where her family was watching the spectacle.

"The entire time I was here I've watched as people belittle them and the goblins. You think magical creatures are beneath you, and it's stupid. So I'm telling you all this now, and you can spread the word to everyone. Until Magical Britain gives **all** magical creatures the same rights that you have, you can forget about me coming back to help you. Until my family, or any vampire or so-called dark creature can walk into a store of their choosing without being glared at or insulted, or be hired for any job they want, then you can all just go fuck yourselves!"

Hera ignored both her mother's scandalized cry and Emmett's amused chuckle and stomped out into non-magical London, barely remembering to hide her wings in her fury. The seven vampires immediately followed.

"Hera Jasmine Cullen, where did you learn that word?!" Esme had grabbed a hold of her child before she could get too far.

"I hear Emmett say it all the time when he's losing against Alice on his game." When everyone cast accusing eyes at the large vampire, she continued. "And Jasper says it sometimes. I heard Alice say it once. Rosalie says it when she's working on her car, and you and daddy say it a lot when you're in your room."

If vampires could blush, they would all be bright red… except one.

"I don't think I've ever heard Edward say it, though," Hera said, causing the smug vampire in question to help his mate onto his back for a piggyback ride.

"And you never will. Neither will **you** say such things, sunshine. Intelligent individuals such as ourselves should never resort to gutter speak like the rest of these unsavory characters." Edward's good mood was contagious as the family continued making their way toward home.

* * *

As darkness descended onto Little Hangleton, three individuals could be found making their way into the abandoned Riddle House from the graveyard. Before two of them even made it past the entry way, they were brusquely dismissed by the third. The two wizards then apparated away without hesitation. As the third was making his way into the study, a large snake hissed out greetings to her master.

"Ah, Nagini, my sweet," Voldemort said in parseltongue, "too long have I been away from my body. It is wonderful to know that soon I shall have the wizarding word trembling at my feet!"

"You smell stronger, massster," came the response of his beloved familiar as she slithered up his body to settle on his shoulders.

"I feel stronger, though I am not yet at full strength. Once I have rested we will gather our forces and make plans to destroy our enemies one by one." He scowled fiercely. "If only that rat Pettigrew had not dared to disclose our location to the ministry in order to attempt to save his own skin, we would be that much closer to fulfilling our goals." He chuckled wryly. "If those fools thought destroying that building with me inside would be enough to save them, they will soon be sadly mistaken."

"At least you were smart and safeguarded yourself against death," said Nagini.

"Yes, but waiting on Lucius to secure the necessary ingredients for the ritual to bring me back has cost us time which we could ill afford to lose. My largest regret, however, is that Pettigrew was given the dementor's kiss before I could exact revenge for his folly."

"And what of the supposed prophecy child… Hera Cullen?"

Voldemort grinned evilly. "Very simple, my pet. She will die."

* * *

As soon as the tired phoenix entered their home in Alaska, she dug through her bag and pulled out Foulclaw's gift to her. The vampires watched in curiosity as Hera unwrapped the parcel and enlarged it. As soon as the little girl realized what she held in her hands, she gasped in delight. The painted visages of her Aunt Perenelle and Uncle Nicolas happily welcomed the family home.

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Okay, Hera dropping the F bomb was all **BePeachy**'s idea, as well as the following reactions of her family. I was eating pie when she started describing how Hera could give the wizarding world a big kick in the pants and I nearly choked to death on my dessert… LOL :)

This is the end of "Child of Prophecy." The next story should be up sometime soon… thanks for sticking with me this far. And, as always, thanks to all who have reviewed!


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